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Jay Groth

Rathjen leads Hawks to 5th-place finish at Mendenhall Invite; Centennial takes 9th

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Both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial wrestling teams had multiple placewinners in the Jack Mendenhall Invitational on Saturday at Ames. The Hawks placed fifth in the 15-team field with 141.5 points. They had nine top-eight finishers. Centennial, meanwhile, took ninth with 83.5 points. The Jaguars had six placewinners. "We didn't bring a full group, … [Read more...] about Rathjen leads Hawks to 5th-place finish at Mendenhall Invite; Centennial takes 9th

Bogseth’s win seals Jaguars’ victory over Clear Creek Amana at Dion Cobb Duals

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers finished with a 1-3 record in the Dion Cobb Duals on Saturday at Valley. The Jaguars' lone win came against Clear Creek Amana, 39-37, in their third dual of the day. Brandon Bogseth posted an 11-1 major decision over Dylan Schrock at 215 pounds to seal the victory, giving Centennial a 39-31 lead with just one match … [Read more...] about Bogseth’s win seals Jaguars’ victory over Clear Creek Amana at Dion Cobb Duals

Vandermark captures 4th straight title at Miller Invite; Sodergren also wins crown

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling standout Cale Vandermark captured a fourth consecutive title in the Don Miller Invitational on Saturday at Fort Dodge, where he helped the Jaguars to a sixth-place finish in the 11-team field. Vandermark, who is ranked No. 1 at 126 pounds in Class 3A, posted a 2-1 decision over No. 9 Matthew Tran of Iowa City West in the finals … [Read more...] about Vandermark captures 4th straight title at Miller Invite; Sodergren also wins crown

‘We need to get tougher’: Jaguars tumble to 0-4 with 57-15 loss to No. 2 Dowling

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) It’s safe to say that the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers haven’t seen the start to the season that they were hoping for. The Jaguars have been struggling in a battle with injuries and have now dropped their first four CIML Conference duals of the season  after Dowling Catholic handed them a 57-15 defeat on Thursday at … [Read more...] about ‘We need to get tougher’: Jaguars tumble to 0-4 with 57-15 loss to No. 2 Dowling

‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Jags build 34-3 lead before Urbandale rallies to win

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers still have a lot of work to do. The eighth-ranked Jaguars appeared to be on the verge of their first dual-meet victory on Tuesday, when they built a 34-3 advantage through the first eight matches at Urbandale. But the J-Hawks then mounted a huge rally, sweeping the last six weights to post a 39-34 win. "We got pinned … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve got a lot of work to do’: Jags build 34-3 lead before Urbandale rallies to win

Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

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It didn't take long for Ankeny wrestler Ben Walsh to get into midseason form. After making his season debut two nights earlier, the fifth-ranked Walsh cruised to the 126-pound title in the Frank Baltzley Invitational on Saturday at Johnston. He posted a 10-3 decision over Lou Elsten of Lawrence (Kan.) in the title match. "Sometimes when you have a kid … [Read more...] about Hawks place 6th at Baltzley Invite behind champion Walsh, while Jaguars finish 13th

‘We’re heading in right direction’: Hawks top Centennial for 2nd consecutive year

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With two of their stalwarts back in the lineup, the Ankeny wrestlers defeated their crosstown rival for the second consecutive year. The Hawks traveled across town to Ankeny Centennial on Thursday and posted a 40-28 victory, getting a pair of pins from returning state placewinners Ben Walsh and Calvin Rathjen. "It was nice having both Ben and Calvin … [Read more...] about ‘We’re heading in right direction’: Hawks top Centennial for 2nd consecutive year

Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

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With the Jag-Hawk wrestling dual meet coming up on Thursday at Ankeny Centennial, both teams are still trying to get to full strength. It's been a rough start to the season for the Jaguars, who placed 14th among 15 teams in the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. Defending state champion Max Dhabolt has yet to wrestle, and neither have … [Read more...] about Ankeny, Centennial wrestlers hoping to get healthy for Jag vs. Hawk showdown

‘I liked the way we fought’: Depleted Jags open season with 53-21 loss at Northwest

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(Story by Stephen McDaniel) The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers saw their team's season come to an end a year ago at the hands of Waukee Northwest after winning the previous matchup. Now, the Jaguars hope to flip the script in the 2025-26 season. Centennial traveled to Northwest on Thursday and won just four of the 14 matches with three falls in a 53-21 … [Read more...] about ‘I liked the way we fought’: Depleted Jags open season with 53-21 loss at Northwest

Jags return state champ Dhabolt, runner-up Vandermark, placewinner Sodergren

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During his tenure as the head coach of the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers, Jay Groth has built a program that embodies hard work and toughness. That culture has led to a lot of success in the 12-year history of the program, but even Groth admits that it's not easy to be a Jaguar wrestler. "We have lost a few kids this season because wrestling is a hard … [Read more...] about Jags return state champ Dhabolt, runner-up Vandermark, placewinner Sodergren

‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

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The title drought is over for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers. In their seventh appearance in a Class 3A championship match, the Jaguars finally got an individual state championship on Saturday night courtesy of sophomore Max Dhabolt, who became the first boy in school history to capture a crown. "Oh my gosh, it's been a long time coming," said … [Read more...] about ‘I had to prove everybody wrong again’: Dhabolt wins Class 3A title at 157 pounds

Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth has vowed to get a tattoo the first time a Jaguar wins an individual state title. Now, it's possible that he might have to get two. Centennial's Cale Vandermark and Max Dhabolt both advanced to Saturday's championship matches by recording technical falls in the semifinal round of the Class 3A tournament on … [Read more...] about Jaguars move into 8th place, will have 4 placewinners along with Ankeny wrestlers

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