Murray State University Athletics
Racers Ready For The 2003 Iron Horse Challenge
4/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Murray State football team closed out the business of spring workouts on Saturday morning. Now, the Racers get to spend three days having a little competitive fun at the 2003 Iron Horse Challenge.
The Iron Horse Challenge, which began last year under the direction of MSU strength and conditioning coach Mike Vinson, is a three-day strength and conditioning competition at Roy Stewart Stadium which begins today and concludes Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. with the team obstacle course. Admission is free and fans are invited to attend.
"The guys start talking about the Iron Horse in January, and it's something they really look forward to," said Vinson. "Other than the games on Saturday, football is a lot of hard, hard work during all hours of the day. This is an event where our players get to have a lot of fun and get some work in without them really knowing it."
The Iron Horse is made up of six teams of 11 players each. The seniors on the 2003 Racer football team were paired up and each pair drafted their squad from the underclassmen.
Each event from the Iron Horse will feature five players from each team and the winners will be determined by total reps, time or distance.
"The Iron Horse is really a lot of fun for our players and it's a fun competition for everyone," said MSU football head coach Joe Pannunzio. "Mike Vinson does a great job of getting our players in excellent physical shape and I think the Iron Horse is a great way for those guys to show what they can do in a variety of demanding physical tests."
The Iron Horse begins today with the 225-pound bench press and the death grip, while Tuesday's schedule will include the farmer's walk and the standing long jump. Wednesday will close out the Iron Horse with the obstacle course, which will include every team member.
The obstacle course, which will be located between Stewart Stadium and the MSU practice fields, will require each athlete to crawl through a 75-foot mud pit, cross a 32-foot monkey bar section, move several items weighing from 300 to 400 pounds, flip a car and push a fire truck. The team with the fastest time will win the obstacle course.
The winning team will receive a trophy and be eligible to appear on the 2003 Iron Horse poster.
For more information on the 2003 Iron Horse Challenge, call (270) 762-6800.
