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Jay Groth

‘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

Centennial wrestlers rack up 9 falls, romp to 67-11 victory over Dowling Catholic

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth felt pretty good about his team's chances heading into Thursday's dual meet against visiting Dowling Catholic. The Jaguars backed up his confidence by winning 12 of the 14 matches and rolling to a 67-11 victory. "We wrestled well," said Groth. "I've been doing this a long time and I always go through the … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers rack up 9 falls, romp to 67-11 victory over Dowling Catholic

Jaguars dominate Centennial Duals, capture title for 7th consecutive year

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers dominated the Centennial Duals on Saturday, easily winning the tournament for the seventh consecutive year. The Jaguars defeated their five opponents by an average margin of 57-18. They raised their record to 9-0 on the season. "I thought we wrestled pretty well," said Centennial coach Jay Groth. "The boys came out, got … [Read more...] about Jaguars dominate Centennial Duals, capture title for 7th consecutive year

Centennial wrestlers notch 7 falls, stay unbeaten with 48-21 win at Urbandale

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The Ankeny Centennial wrestlers remained unbeaten in dual-meet competition with a 48-21 victory at Urbandale on Thursday. The Jaguars won eight of the 14 matches and recorded seven falls. They improved their records to 2-0 in the CIML Conference and 4-0 overall. "We wrestled well, but we've got to win the close matches," said Centennial coach Jay … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers notch 7 falls, stay unbeaten with 48-21 win at Urbandale

Jaguars crown 3 individual champs, take 2nd overall at Keith Young Invitational

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Even with a depleted lineup, the Ankeny Centennial wrestlers earned runner-up honors in the Keith Young Invitational on Saturday at Cedar Falls. The Jaguars scored 177 points in the 16-team tournament. Dubuque Hempstead captured the crown with 184.5 points. "Our guys wrestled much better than they did on Thursday (against Waukee)," said Centennial … [Read more...] about Jaguars crown 3 individual champs, take 2nd overall at Keith Young Invitational

‘We got the job done’: Jags top Waukee, but aren’t satisfied with performance

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A moral victory is defined as a defeat that can be interpreted as a victory on moral terms, because the defeated team exceeded its expectations. The Ankeny Centennial wrestling team may have experienced the opposite of a moral victory on Thursday, when the Jaguars posted a 39-24 win over a visiting Waukee squad that they defeated a year ago by 66 … [Read more...] about ‘We got the job done’: Jags top Waukee, but aren’t satisfied with performance

Centennial wrestlers romp to wins over Albia, West Marshall to open season

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Ankeny Centennial wrestling coach Jay Groth isn't sure what the Jaguars' best lineup will be just yet. But the one that he put on the mat Tuesday night looked pretty good. Centennial opened the season with a pair of lopsided victories in a double dual meet. The host Jaguars posted a 58-16 win over Albia, then rolled to a 72-6 triumph over West … [Read more...] about Centennial wrestlers romp to wins over Albia, West Marshall to open season

‘We have talent and depth and numbers’: Jaguars boast 8 returning state qualifiers

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A year ago, Ankeny Centennial advanced 12 wrestlers to the Class 3A state tournament--the most in school history. Now, eight of those 12 wrestlers are back, the most returning qualifiers the Jaguars have ever had under coach Jay Groth. "We are an experienced crew," Groth said. "We are working hard to raise the bar to get to the next level. We have a … [Read more...] about ‘We have talent and depth and numbers’: Jaguars boast 8 returning state qualifiers

Hawk wrestlers place 10th, Jaguars finish 12th in Class 3A state tournament

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It was a rollercoaster Saturday for the Ankeny wrestling team during the consolation finals of the Class 3A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The Hawks went 3-7 on the day and finished in 10th place overall with 89.5 points. Still, they had six placewinners for the first time under coach Jack Wignall. "It was a really fun tournament," said … [Read more...] about Hawk wrestlers place 10th, Jaguars finish 12th in Class 3A state tournament

Ankeny wrestlers fall to 10th, Jaguars drop to 12th after semifinal losses

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It was a rough Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena for the Ankeny Centennial wrestling team. Crosstown rival Ankeny fared considerably better in the Class 3A state tournament, especially in the consolation rounds. The Hawks went 6-3 on the back sides of the brackets and are now in 10th place with 81.5 points. Six of Ankeny's nine state qualifiers earned … [Read more...] about Ankeny wrestlers fall to 10th, Jaguars drop to 12th after semifinal losses

‘That was awesome’: Cale Vandermark, Lucas Bruhl punch tickets to semifinals

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Ankeny Centennial freshman Cale Vandermark was getting tired during his quarterfinal match at the Class 3A state wrestling tournament on Thursday. His opponent, though, was beginning to fade as well under the bright lights at Wells Fargo Arena. The sixth-seeded Vandermark got a takedown in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime, then got … [Read more...] about ‘That was awesome’: Cale Vandermark, Lucas Bruhl punch tickets to semifinals