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Jay Groth

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

‘Our focus is to be tough’: Jaguars return 5 state qualifiers from 3A’s 4th-place team

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There are plenty of reasons for optimism in the Ankeny Centennial wrestling room. The Jaguars return five state qualifiers from one of the best teams in school history, including a pair of placewinners in Max Dhabolt and Cale Vandermark. The other returning qualifiers are Isaac Bruhl, Andrew Roland and Ethan Sodergren. "The practices are going … [Read more...] about ‘Our focus is to be tough’: Jaguars return 5 state qualifiers from 3A’s 4th-place team

Centennial wrestlers place 4th, Hawks finish 14th in Class 3A state tournament

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Jack Wignall and Jay Groth both walked away from Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday with their heads held high. The respective coaches for the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial wrestling teams had plenty of reasons to be proud of their teams' performances over the last four days. They also had bright futures to be excited about. Fourth-ranked Centennial placed … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers place 4th, Hawks finish 14th in Class 3A state tournament

Centennial quartet, Ankeny duo come up short in Class 3A semifinal matches

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It was a rough Friday afternoon for both the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial wrestling teams. The two squads combined to go 0-for-6 in the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. "That blood round has come back to haunt us for the second year in a row," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "We didn't have a very good one last year … [Read more...] about Centennial quartet, Ankeny duo come up short in Class 3A semifinal matches

‘We fought hard’: Jaguars advance 4 to semis, stay in contention for team trophy

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Four Ankeny Centennial wrestlers advanced to Friday's semifinals in a variety of ways at the Class 3A state tournament. In the process, the quartet moved the fourth-ranked Jaguars closer to a coveted team trophy. Centennial sits in third place at the midway point of the tournament with 77.5 points, 12 more than fourth-place Indianola. No. 1 Southeast … [Read more...] about ‘We fought hard’: Jaguars advance 4 to semis, stay in contention for team trophy

Jaguars sit in 2nd place, advance 8 of their 11 state qualifiers to quarterfinals

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In 2019, the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team placed fourth in the Class 3A state tournament, the school's highest finish ever. This week at Wells Fargo Arena, the fourth-ranked Jaguars are looking to finish even higher. Centennial got off to a great start on Wednesday, when the Jaguars went 11-3 on the opening day of the tournament and advanced eight … [Read more...] about Jaguars sit in 2nd place, advance 8 of their 11 state qualifiers to quarterfinals

No. 4 Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 11 wrestlers for state tournament

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers turned in a dominating performance on Saturday. The fourth-ranked Jaguars easily won a Class 3A district tournament at Cedar Rapids Prairie, racking up 210 points and qualifying 11 wrestlers for this week's state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa City West was a distant second with 148 points. "For the most part we … [Read more...] about No. 4 Jaguars capture district crown, qualify 11 wrestlers for state tournament

Centennial wrestlers place 5th at state duals, finish season with 21-2 record

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When the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers dropped their opening match in the Class 3A state duals tournament on Saturday, the Jaguars still had plenty of motivation to bounce back. "Last year it was great qualifying, but we went 0-3," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "This year we didn't want to leave with that same bitter taste in our mouth. We won that … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers place 5th at state duals, finish season with 21-2 record

‘That was a nailbiter’: Jags use late pins to beat Johnston, advance to state duals

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Lucas Bruhl and the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers are headed back to the state duals tournament. The top-ranked Bruhl got a fall at 150 pounds to clinch the fifth-seeded Jaguars' 45-34 victory over No. 11 Johnston in the final of a Class 3A regional dual on Tuesday at Centennial. He pinned Kinnick Thompson in just 24 seconds to punch his team's ticket to … [Read more...] about ‘That was a nailbiter’: Jags use late pins to beat Johnston, advance to state duals

‘We were just hungry for this win’: Jaguars top Waukee NW, raise record to 18-1

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Mitchell Grider and the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers wanted to keep their momentum going heading into next week's Class 3A regional dual. Grider won by a major decision at 215 pounds to help the Jaguars to a 39-28 victory at Waukee Northwest in their final dual meet of the regular season on Thursday. "We had a good game plan coming in," said Grider, who … [Read more...] about ‘We were just hungry for this win’: Jaguars top Waukee NW, raise record to 18-1

‘This is the match I have wanted all year’: Bruhl defeats Diaz to win Winger crown

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Ankeny Centennial's Lucas Bruhl has been waiting 11 months for another opportunity to wrestle Waverly-Shell Rock's Bas Diaz. He didn't let his chance go to waste. The second-ranked Bruhl posted a 3-1 decision over the No. 1 Diaz to win the 150-pound title in the Ed Winger Classic on Saturday at Urbandale. The senior was named the tournament's most … [Read more...] about ‘This is the match I have wanted all year’: Bruhl defeats Diaz to win Winger crown

‘We’ve just got to get tougher’: Jaguars suffer their first loss at No. 1 S.E. Polk

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The unbeaten streak came to an end for the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers. The sixth-ranked Jaguars traveled to Southeast Polk on Thursday and dropped a 46-19 decision to the No. 1 Rams, who won 10 of the 14 matches. Centennial's records dropped to 6-1 in the CIML Conference and 17-1 overall. "They've got a good team," Centennial coach Jay Groth said … [Read more...] about ‘We’ve just got to get tougher’: Jaguars suffer their first loss at No. 1 S.E. Polk

‘They were really motivated’: Centennial wrestlers end losing streak to Ankeny

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The seniors on the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team were highly motivated for Thursday's dual meet against visiting Ankeny. The eighth-ranked Jaguars won nine of the 14 matches and recorded five falls en route to a 42-17 victory--their first over Ankeny since the 2019-20 season. "There was definitely some talk amongst the seniors who were saying, 'Hey, … [Read more...] about ‘They were really motivated’: Centennial wrestlers end losing streak to Ankeny

‘The guys did some good things’: Jaguars rack up 24 pins, win title at Norwalk Duals

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Racking up 24 pins along the way, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers easily defeated three opponents on Saturday to win the Norwalk Duals. The Jaguars recorded 12 falls in a 72-9 win over Knoxville. They had seven more pins in a 69-10 victory over Cedar Rapids Washington, then followed with five more in a 47-21 triumph over Norwalk in the championship … [Read more...] about ‘The guys did some good things’: Jaguars rack up 24 pins, win title at Norwalk Duals

Centennial wrestlers knock off No. 5 Johnston on Max Dhabolt’s technical fall

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Thursday's dual meet at Johnston came down to the final match for the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team. Freshman Max Dhabolt won by a technical fall over Wes Weiford at 144 pounds, 16-0, to give the 10th-ranked Jaguars a 35-30 victory over No. 5 Johnston. "I told Max before he went out on the mat that I don't know if I've ever been more confident … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers knock off No. 5 Johnston on Max Dhabolt’s technical fall

‘We did what we needed to do’: Jaguars top Lewis Central, Valley on Senior Night

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers remained unbeaten in dual-meet competition with a pair of victories on Thursday on its Senior Night. The host Jaguars rolled to a 66-6 win over Council Bluffs Lewis Central in a non-conference meet, then followed with a 43-22 triumph over Valley in a CIML Conference dual. They raised their records to 4-0 in the league and … [Read more...] about ‘We did what we needed to do’: Jaguars top Lewis Central, Valley on Senior Night

Centennial wrestlers crown 3 champs, place 2nd overall at Don Miller Invite

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers crowned three individual champions and placed second overall in the Don Miller Invitational on Saturday at Fort Dodge. The Jaguars racked up 230.5 points in the 10-team tournament. Third-ranked Fort Dodge scored 243.5 points to defend its title. "We were missing two state placewinners in our lineup (Lucas and Isaac … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers crown 3 champs, place 2nd overall at Don Miller Invite