Ankeny girls wrestling's CIML conference title a snapshot of team's meteoric rise

WAUKEE — Ankeny girls wrestling coach Dustin Roland had been stress-free leading up to Tuesday's CIML meet.

Rolling into Waukee Northwest's gymnasium, Ankeny was without two of its major contributors, 135-pound senior Lily Hans and junior 155-pounder Haylee McGrew. While McGrew is set to return, Hans recently sustained a season-ending injury. With them sidelined, Roland didn't see his squad winning a championship against a tough group of opponents led by Raccoon River Wrestling and Southeast Polk.

Yet through the night, the scoreboard continued to show Ankeny and Raccoon River Wrestling trading first and second place. It was clear that every team point was going to matter.

At 140 pounds, the most consequential match of the night was set to transpire between Ankeny freshman Hayden Bratland (27-3 entering Tuesday) and Raccoon River Wrestling's Naomi Templeman (30-9).

Bratland picked up a takedown 43 seconds into the bout. As Templeman worked her way up for an escape, Bratland brought her opponent down for a thunderous mat return in a dangerous position.

"I was trying to get her back down to the mat, I wanted to work something from on top and then when I got her back down, I realized that she was on her back," Bratland said. "I was like, 'I got a chance, I got to try and pin her.'"

That is exactly what Bratland did, putting Ankeny in a good spot down the stretch. It was clear in that moment just how much those three losses Bratland had suffered this season had helped the freshman grow. She dropped two matches to Kiara Djoumessi, a future Iowa Hawkeye, and a reigning state champion in Maeley Elsbury. Still, she remained a consistent top-end wrestler for her team.

"Hayden's a gamer," Roland said. "She's just going to do what she has to do to win. She's got a ton of offense ... she's just consistent."

Ankeny 145-pound senior Dana Cleveland trailed 6-4 against Ella Anliker, then turned a takedown into a win by fall, the 100th of her career. The pin gave Ankeny just enough to edge Raccoon River Wrestling for the CIML title, Ankeny's second in a row.

Cleveland, a Wartburg recruit, never saw herself reaching this level in her career.

"I never thought I'd get to 100 pins," Cleveland said. "I started on the boys team. I didn't really know what I was doing, so to have improved so much, it means a lot."

Cleveland was the lone state medalist on a team last year that placed 40th at the state meet. She's the "glue" that holds the team together, Bratland said.

"She's what I envision our program being about," Roland said. "She works her butt off every single day, she stays completely cool in matches and wins in the third period when it's important."

Ankeny's performance has the team feeling confident moving forward.

"I'm ecstatic right now," Roland said. "I couldn't be more proud of our girls. It shows what depth we have and the resilience that they have coming in here down two starters."

Team, individual results from CIML Tournament

Team results

• First place - Ankeny (244 points)

• Second place - Raccoon River Wrestling (241 points)

• Third place - Southeast Polk (200 points)

• Fourth place - West Des Moines Valley (114 points)

• Fifth place - Urbandale (53 points)

• Sixth place - Johnston (15 points)

Individual results

• 100 pounds - Katie Biscoglia (Raccoon River Wrestling)

• 105 pounds - Carissa Hersom (Southeast Polk)

• 110 pounds - Nora Bockes (Ankeny)

• 115 pounds - Aaleyah McMaster (Valley)

• 120 pounds - Elyse Engebretson (Ankeny)

• 125 pounds - Calista Rodish (Raccoon River Wrestling)

• 130 pounds - Montana Mitchell (Raccoon River Wrestling)

• 135 pounds - Ellie Hancock (Raccoon River Wrestling)

• 140 pounds - Hayden Bratland (Ankeny)

• 145 pounds - Dana Cleveland (Ankeny)

• 155 pounds - Skylar Slade (Southeast Polk)

• 170 pounds - Aleah Johnson (Raccoon River Wrestling)

• 190 pounds - Bella Porcelli (Southeast Polk)

• 235 pounds - Reese Baxter (Raccoon River Wrestling)

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ankeny girls wrestling wins CIML conference title