March 6, 2006
The 15th annual Night of Champions will be held Wednesday, March 8, starting at 7 p.m. in the weight room of the L.F. “Tow” Diehm Athletics Center. The annual weightlifting exhibition, put on by University of New Mexico strength and conditioning coordinator Mark Paulsen and his staff, marks the end of the Lobo football offseason training program. The main event will feature two teams of 15 players, Cherry versus Silver, battling for bragging rights as the most powerful players on campus. Admission is free and bleachers will be set up to give fans a great view of one of the most intense events of the UNM football year.
The winning team will be determined by which group combines to put up the most total weight in three lifts – the bench press, power clean and squat. Individual performances will also help determine this year’s winners of the coveted Beefmaster trophies, which are awarded to the strongest players, pound-for-pound, in each weight class.
Wednesday’s Night of Champions event will provide a springboard into what will be an important spring practice and summer strength and conditioning season for the Lobos. Paulsen said the players made good progress in their winter program and is confident they will continue to improve as they work toward the fall.
“We’re definitely younger this year after losing quite a few strong guys out of that (2005) senior class,” he said. “We do have more young guys this year with a little less experience in the weight room, but they’re determined and dedicated, and they’ll end up being a strong as any group we’ve had come through here.”
Cherry Team
Bench Press: Yimin Bauman (LB), Ryan Boyd (DL), Martelius Epps (RB), Andrés Madueño (FB), Tyson Ditmore (S)
Power Clean: Quincy Black (LB), Travis Brown (WR), OJ Swift (S), Matt Quillen (FB), Kevin Balogun (DE)
Squat: James Crowder (NT), Anthony Kilby (OT), Bo Greer (OG), Ian Clark (CB), Rodney Ferguson (RB)
Silver Team
Bench Press: Jeremiah Lovato (DE), Chris Mark (TE), Juamar Hall (CB), Cody Kase (LB), Frankie Baca (DB)
Power Clean: Major Mosley (DL/LB), Clint McPeek (S), Bryan Clampitt (QB), Jake Bowe (LB), Stephen Hutchison (DE)
Squat: Billy Brittain (NT), Tyler Donaldson (DE), Robert Turner (OG), Paul Baker (RB), Glover Quin (CB)