Ankeny Fanatic

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Jack Wignall

Rathjen wins matchup of top-ranked wrestlers, claims crown at Indianola

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Caleb Rathjen is still working himself into wrestling shape. The Ankeny senior, though, is still dominating his opponents on the mat. Rathjen, a two-time state champion who is ranked No. 1 at 152 pounds in Class 3A, easily captured a title at 160 in the Indianola Invitational on Saturday. He won his first three matches by fall in a combined 2 minutes … [Read more...] about Rathjen wins matchup of top-ranked wrestlers, claims crown at Indianola

Fort Dodge builds 19-0 lead en route to 38-31 victory over Hawk wrestlers

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A tough opening week for the Ankeny wrestling team continued on Thursday as the seventh-ranked Hawks suffered a 38-31 loss at No. 4 Fort Dodge in their CIML Iowa Conference opener. Ankeny dropped to 0-2 overall after opening the season with a loss to Cedar Falls on Tuesday. "We didn’t wrestle bad," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "Fort Dodge was just a … [Read more...] about Fort Dodge builds 19-0 lead en route to 38-31 victory over Hawk wrestlers

Bonus points are the difference: Cedar Falls wrestlers edge Ankeny, 34-32

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Despite racking up bonus points in all of its wins, the eighth-ranked Ankeny wrestling team opened its season on Tuesday with a 34-32 loss to visiting Cedar Falls. The Tigers won eight of the 14 matches and had three falls, including one at 152 pounds that sealed the victory. Ankeny got falls from top-ranked Caleb Rathjen at 160 and No. 9 Nate Nessa at … [Read more...] about Bonus points are the difference: Cedar Falls wrestlers edge Ankeny, 34-32

Hawk wrestlers look to continue Ankeny’s recent run of championship success

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall is anxious to get back on the mat with his team. Wignall saw enough during the Hawks' first week of practice last month to know that this is the most talented squad he's ever had. "We are very balanced at each weight with talent and depth. That is something we haven’t always had," said Wignall. "Sometimes we … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers look to continue Ankeny’s recent run of championship success

Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny wrestling team

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(EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is dedicated to longtime Des Moines Register wrestling reporter Dan McCool, who died on Monday at the age of 60. Dan was a legend in the wrestling community and will be sorely missed. I was working for the Register as a correspondent in the 80s and one of the first big events that I was asked to cover was to help out Dan with state … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic announces its all-time Ankeny wrestling team

Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 84

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Check out the latest edition of the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by the Ankeny office of Iowa Realty. Ankeny boys' swimming coach Justin Crouch and four-time state champion Trent Frandson stopped by to discuss the Hawks' runner-up finish in the state meet with Ankeny Fanatic publisher Dan Holm, who also recapped the state wrestling tournament with … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Podcast: Episode 84

Rathjen dominates, becomes Ankeny’s fourth two-time state champion

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Ankeny's Caleb Rathjen doesn't want to just win state titles. He also wants to dominate his opponents on the wrestling mat. On Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena, Rathjen did both of those things. The top-ranked junior racked up eight takedowns and rolled to a 17-6 major decision over No. 2 Dreyzon Phillips of Fort Dodge to win the Class 3A crown … [Read more...] about Rathjen dominates, becomes Ankeny’s fourth two-time state champion

WELL DONE: Ankeny’s Rathjen, Kallem to wrestle for state titles on Saturday night

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Whenever Caleb Rathjen steps on the wrestling mat, he brings a ton of confidence with him. His teammate on the Ankeny squad, Sam Kallem, boasts just as much confidence in his own abilities. Both Rathjen and Kallem advanced to the Class 3A finals on Saturday night with a pair of victories on Friday in the state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The duo … [Read more...] about WELL DONE: Ankeny’s Rathjen, Kallem to wrestle for state titles on Saturday night

Ankeny advances 3 wrestlers into semifinals, surges into top 10 of Class 3A

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Sixth-ranked Ankeny has surged into eighth place in the Class 3A state tournament after advancing three wrestlers into the semifinals on Friday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena. The Hawks will also have a fourth placewinner in 10th-ranked Cael Cox at 120 pounds. The junior lost to defending state champion Drake Ayala of Fort Dodge in the quarterfinals on … [Read more...] about Ankeny advances 3 wrestlers into semifinals, surges into top 10 of Class 3A

Hawks rack up 4 falls in opening round, sit in 12th place heading into Friday

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The Ankeny wrestling team stormed through the opening round of the Class 3A state tournament on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena. The sixth-ranked Hawks advanced four of their five qualifiers to Friday's quarterfinals, and all four of them recorded falls. "It's kind of what I hoped for and what I expected out of those four guys," said Ankeny coach Jack … [Read more...] about Hawks rack up 4 falls in opening round, sit in 12th place heading into Friday

Ankeny wrestlers crown 5 champs, place 2nd overall at district tourney

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The Ankeny wrestling team crowned five individual champions en route to a second-place finish in a Class 3A district tournament on Saturday at Dallas Center-Grimes. Leading the way were defending state champions Trever Anderson at 113 pounds and Caleb Rathjen at 138. The top-ranked duo easily captured district titles to punch their ticket to next week's … [Read more...] about Ankeny wrestlers crown 5 champs, place 2nd overall at district tourney

Without 4 regulars, Hawk wrestlers tumble to Norwalk in regional dual

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Although his team failed to advance to the state duals tournament, Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall was happy that the Hawks got an opportunity to compete on Wednesday night. Ankeny, the No. 14 team in the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Class 3A dual rankings, dropped a 43-28 decision to No. 15 Norwalk in the opening round of a … [Read more...] about Without 4 regulars, Hawk wrestlers tumble to Norwalk in regional dual

Ankeny wrestlers fall into 16-0 hole, then win final 11 matches against Bobcats

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The Ankeny wrestlers tuned up for the postseason with a 65-16 victory at Marshalltown in a non-conference meet on Thursday. The Hawks, who are 13th in the Class 3A dual rankings by The Predicament, improved to 14-5 on the season. Marshalltown dropped to 8-14. "We had some kids get a win tonight that really needed it," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "I … [Read more...] about Ankeny wrestlers fall into 16-0 hole, then win final 11 matches against Bobcats

Ankeny trio, Centennial’s Neils capture individual titles at CIML Invitational

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If Friday's CIML Invitational at Southeast Polk was any indication of what's going to happen later this month at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament, then both Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial could make a lot of noise at Wells Fargo Arena. The eighth-ranked Jaguars placed second in Friday's 16-team tournament, while the No. 7 Hawks took fourth. It was … [Read more...] about Ankeny trio, Centennial’s Neils capture individual titles at CIML Invitational

Busy week for Hawk wrestlers ends with win over Dowling, Dave Ewing Duals title

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The Ankeny wrestlers got some much-needed time on the mat last week. After placing third in their own Bob Sharp Invitational on Jan. 20, the Hawks celebrated their Senior Night on Thursday with a 42-33 victory over visiting Dowling Catholic. They then defeated five more opponents on Saturday to win the Dave Ewing Duals at Ankeny. "Some of our kids … [Read more...] about Busy week for Hawk wrestlers ends with win over Dowling, Dave Ewing Duals title

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Nike Coulthard, Ankeny wrestling

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Nike Coulthard is a member of the Ankeny wrestling team. He has helped the Hawks to a 7-5 dual record. Coulthard filled in at 126 pounds during Ankeny's 40-23 loss to visiting Johnston on Thursday. He dropped a 5-3 decision to Aidan Honkomp. "Nike is a good kid," said Ankeny coach Jack Wignall. "He is always there for us and works hard." Ankeny … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Nike Coulthard, Ankeny wrestling

Hawks crown 3 champs, earn 3rd-place finish overall at Bob Sharp Invitational

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While Martin Luther King Jr. Day provided a day off for many people, that wasn't the case for the Ankeny wrestlers. The seventh-ranked Hawks hosted the Bob Sharp Invitational after Saturday's tournament was postponed until Monday due to inclement weather. Ten of the 13 teams that were originally slated to compete traveled to Ankeny for the rescheduled … [Read more...] about Hawks crown 3 champs, earn 3rd-place finish overall at Bob Sharp Invitational

No Cael, no Jace, no problem: Hawk wrestlers pin 54-15 loss on Urbandale

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The Ankeny wrestling team competed without two of its ranked wrestlers on Thursday. It didn't matter. The Hawks, who are 13th in The Predicament's Class 3A dual rankings, won 11 of the 14 matches and rolled to a 54-15 victory at Urbandale. They raised their records to 1-1 in the CIML Central Conference and 7-4 overall. "It was a good win for us," … [Read more...] about No Cael, no Jace, no problem: Hawk wrestlers pin 54-15 loss on Urbandale

Anderson wins rematch against Fousek; Hawks finish 10th at Battle of Waterloo

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The Ankeny wrestling team came away from the Battle of Waterloo last weekend with a 4-2 record. More importantly, the prestigious two-day tournament challenged the fifth-ranked Hawks. "We do something similar at Independence (with the Cliff Keen Invitational), and there's another tournament that is like that and that's the state tournament," said … [Read more...] about Anderson wins rematch against Fousek; Hawks finish 10th at Battle of Waterloo