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
Lucas Bruhl
‘We fought hard’: Jaguars advance 4 to semis, stay in contention for team trophy
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
‘That was a nailbiter’: Jags use late pins to beat Johnston, advance to state duals
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
‘This is the match I have wanted all year’: Bruhl defeats Diaz to win Winger crown
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 have talent and depth and numbers’: Jaguars boast 8 returning state qualifiers
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
Centennial’s Bruhl chooses baseball over wrestling, will play for NIACC next year
Ankeny Centennial's Lucas Bruhl is a two-time state placewinner on the wrestling mat. His future, though, is on the baseball field. The senior shortstop has verbally committed to play next year at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City. He announced his decision on social media Monday. "I visited a few other community colleges and a couple … [Read more...] about Centennial’s Bruhl chooses baseball over wrestling, will play for NIACC next year
‘That was awesome’: Cale Vandermark, Lucas Bruhl punch tickets to semifinals
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
JAG-HAWK PREVIEW: Crosstown rivals battle for mat supremacy on Thursday
Due to some technical issues, we were not able to post this week's Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast sponsored by Coldwell Banker Mid-America that previewed Thursday night's Jag-Hawk wrestling dual. However, here are the highlights from publisher Dan Holm's interviews with Coldwell Banker realtor Tiffany Rumelhart, Ankeny assistant coach Austin Anderson, Ankeny … [Read more...] about JAG-HAWK PREVIEW: Crosstown rivals battle for mat supremacy on Thursday
OAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKIE!: Sophomore tosses 1-hitter, fans 14 in Jaguars’ win
Ankeny Centennial pitcher Joey Oakie put on a dazzling display Friday. The sophomore righthander tossed a one-hitter and struck out 14 of the 15 batters that he retired as the fifth-ranked Jaguars opened the baseball postseason with a 10-0 victory over visiting Fort Dodge in five innings in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal. "Props to my catcher for … [Read more...] about OAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKIE!: Sophomore tosses 1-hitter, fans 14 in Jaguars’ win
Anderson moves closer to 3rd title; Bruhl, Helmkamp also advance to semifinals
Two-time state champion Trever Anderson of Ankeny has advanced to the semifinals of the Class 3A state wrestling tournament along with the Ankeny Centennial duo of Lucas Bruhl and Jackson Helmkamp. The second-ranked Anderson posted a 15-4 major decision over No. 12 Braxten Westendorf of Waverly-Shell Rock in the quarterfinals at 120 pounds on Friday … [Read more...] about Anderson moves closer to 3rd title; Bruhl, Helmkamp also advance to semifinals
‘We’ll be ready to go’: Jaguars want to be hammers–whenever season begins
Jay Groth isn't worried about whether his Ankeny Centennial wrestlers will be in shape once the Ankeny school district returns to in-person classes. "I've told them, 'When we get back--whenever that is--we're going to be ready to compete,'" Groth said. "And we'll know if you haven't been doing what you need to do to be able to compete, because you'll run … [Read more...] about ‘We’ll be ready to go’: Jaguars want to be hammers–whenever season begins