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Jay Groth

Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

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Ankeny wrestling coach Jack Wignall was left speechless by his team's performance on Thursday morning. The Hawks won 12 of 14 matches on the second day of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, allowing them to catapult from 15th in the team standings into eighth place with 60.5 points. They recorded seven pins and two technical falls along … [Read more...] about Hawks surge into 8th place, advance 2 to semifinals along with Centennial duo

Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

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Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny advanced a total of six wrestlers into Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Jaguars won eight of 13 matches on Wednesday and are currently in seventh place in the team standings with 32.5 points. They advanced second-seeded Cale Vandermark at 120 pounds, No. 6 … [Read more...] about Jaguars advance 4 wrestlers to Thursday’s quarterfinals, while Ankeny duo moves on

Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 9 wrestlers for Class 3A state tournament

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers came away with a Class 3A district team title on Saturday for the second year in a row. The Jaguars qualified nine wrestlers for the state tournament while racking up 208.5 points in the district meet at Fort Dodge. The host Dodgers, who are ranked sixth in Class 3A, placed second in the eight-team field with 189 … [Read more...] about Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 9 wrestlers for Class 3A state tournament

Jags advance to regional final on Keller’s pin, then tumble to No. 6 Waukee NW

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It should not be surprising that a team with a .500 record would come away with another split on Tuesday in a Class 3A regional dual at Waukee Northwest. The 14th-ranked Ankeny Centennial wrestlers got a pin from heavyweight Brook Keller in the final match to beat No. 12 Council Bluffs Lewis Central, 34-33, in the opening … [Read more...] about Jags advance to regional final on Keller’s pin, then tumble to No. 6 Waukee NW

‘We went out and fought’: Jags drop 58-14 decision to No. 1 S.E. Polk on Senior Night

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team celebrated its Senior Night on Thursday before dropping a 58-14 decision to visiting Southeast Polk. It was the final home meet for the 14th-ranked Jaguars, who finished 5-3 in the CIML Conference and fell to 10-10 overall. "We have almost 20 seniors, and it's nice just to have those guys around," said Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘We went out and fought’: Jags drop 58-14 decision to No. 1 S.E. Polk on Senior Night

Jags’ Dhabolt named most outstanding wrestler after winning Ed Winger crown

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Ankeny Centennial sophomore Max Dhabolt showed on Saturday why he's a serious contender to become the school's first-ever state wrestling champion. The third-ranked Dhabolt defeated the two wrestlers ranked above him in Class 3A to win the 157-pound title in the Ed Winger Invitational at Urbandale. He posted a 4-2 … [Read more...] about Jags’ Dhabolt named most outstanding wrestler after winning Ed Winger crown

‘It was a tough night’: Johnston wrestlers record 7 falls in 58-17 win over Centennial

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Although Max Dhabolt returned to the lineup on Thursday for the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team, the 17th-ranked Jaguars simply didn't have enough firepower against No. 3 Johnston. The Dragons recorded seven falls and rolled to a 58-17 victory at Centennial. The loss dropped the Jaguars' records to 5-2 in … [Read more...] about ‘It was a tough night’: Johnston wrestlers record 7 falls in 58-17 win over Centennial

Centennial wrestling team struggles to 10th-place finish at Osage Duals

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Saturday was a rough day for the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team. With two open weights and some other wrestlers out of the lineup due to injuries, the Jaguars struggled to a 10th-place finish at the Osage Duals. They lost all five of their dual meets, dropping to 10-8 overall on the season. "We wrestled some really good teams, and we wrestled flat," … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestling team struggles to 10th-place finish at Osage Duals

‘We weren’t sure we could pull it off’: Jaguars’ depth pays off in win at Waukee

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team was without a trio of varsity regulars on Thursday, including a pair of state placewinners in Isaac Bruhl and Max Dhabolt. No worries. The Jaguars relied on their depth to post a 47-22 victory over Waukee in a CIML Conference dual meet at Timberline Middle School. They improved their records to 5-1 in the league and … [Read more...] about ‘We weren’t sure we could pull it off’: Jaguars’ depth pays off in win at Waukee

Ankeny’s Rathjen claims Mendenhall title, while Jags’ Vandermark earns 100th win

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Saturday's Jack Mendenhall Invitational proved to be a memorable tournament for Ankeny wrestler Calvin Rathjen. Ankeny Centennial's Cale Vandermark also enjoyed an historic moment. Rathjen won the 132-pound title to lead the Hawks to a fourth-place finish in the 15-team field, while the Jaguars took sixth behind a runner-up performance at 120 from … [Read more...] about Ankeny’s Rathjen claims Mendenhall title, while Jags’ Vandermark earns 100th win

‘That should do a lot for his confidence’: Keller’s pin seals Jaguars’ win at Dowling

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After losing four of the first five matches, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers won seven of the next eight bouts and posted a 45-33 victory at Dowling Catholic on Thursday. The sixth-ranked Jaguars raised their records to 4-1 in the CIML Conference and 9-3 overall, but coach Jay Groth still had some concerns after the meet. "We need to continue to not … [Read more...] about ‘That should do a lot for his confidence’: Keller’s pin seals Jaguars’ win at Dowling

‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Centennial wrestlers post 2-2 record at Valley Duals

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Eight Ankeny Centennial wrestlers won at least three matches on the day as the Jaguars went 2-2 overall Saturday at the Valley Duals. Sixth-ranked Centennial opened the tournament with a 54-21 win over Valley that raised its record to 3-1 in the CIML Conference. The Jaguars began that dual with seven consecutive victories, including falls in the first six … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Centennial wrestlers post 2-2 record at Valley Duals

Vandermark wins 3rd consecutive Miller crown, earns outstanding wrestler award

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Ankeny Centennial's Cale Vandermark exercised a few demons on Saturday. The fourth-ranked junior won the 120-pound title in the Don Miller Invitational at Fort Dodge and earned the Tim Ascherl/Brent Helmkamp outstanding wrestler award after leading the Jaguars to a fifth-place finish in the 14-team field. "I was honored to have earned such an esteemed … [Read more...] about Vandermark wins 3rd consecutive Miller crown, earns outstanding wrestler award

Jaguars top Urbandale again, allow Groth to reach 450-victory career milestone

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Behind every successful wrestling coach is a group of talented assistant coaches. At least that's what Ankeny Centennial coach Jay Groth believes. Groth paid credit to his assistants on Thursday after earning his 450th career victory when the Jaguars defeated visiting Urbandale, 42-30, in a CIML Conference dual meet. "Like I've said before, my best … [Read more...] about Jaguars top Urbandale again, allow Groth to reach 450-victory career milestone

‘That’s a good run’: Jaguars win Centennial Duals crown for 8th consecutive year

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The only question on Saturday was whether the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team would be able to host its home duals tournament. Once the competition began, there was little doubt which squad would prevail. The Jaguars rolled past four other teams to win the Centennial Duals for the eighth consecutive year. "That's a good run," said Centennial coach … [Read more...] about ‘That’s a good run’: Jaguars win Centennial Duals crown for 8th consecutive year

‘It was a fun night’: Ankeny wrestlers rely on bonus points to defeat Centennial

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Ankeny senior Andrew Haase wanted his last Jag-Hawk wrestling dual to be a memorable one. He did his part to make sure that it was. Haase recorded one of his team's five falls as the Hawks rallied from an early 13-0 deficit to beat visiting Ankeny Centennial, 40-33, in a CIML Conference matchup on Thursday. "It feels really good," said Haase. "It … [Read more...] about ‘It was a fun night’: Ankeny wrestlers rely on bonus points to defeat Centennial

Vandermark, Dhabolt capture titles while Jaguars claim team crown at Young Invite

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After nearly winning the tournament a year ago, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers dominated the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. The Jaguars advanced five wrestlers to the finals, crowned two individual champions, and cruised to the team title with 189.5 points. North Scott was a distant second in the 15-team field with 169. "I … [Read more...] about Vandermark, Dhabolt capture titles while Jaguars claim team crown at Young Invite

‘That was huge’: Smith’s fall helps Jaguars open season with 40-39 win over Wolves

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With a 34-28 lead through the first 11 matches on Thursday, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers were in position to knock off fifth-ranked Waukee Northwest in their season opener. However, the visiting Wolves had a trio of ranked wrestlers lined up for the final three matches, meaning that Centennial needed to pull off an upset in order to win the CIML … [Read more...] about ‘That was huge’: Smith’s fall helps Jaguars open season with 40-39 win over Wolves