April 21, 2009

LAS VEGAS - Night Of Champions - 2009

Under the guidance of UNLV offensive coordinator Todd Berry, team Red Swarm took home the title at the 4th annual Night of Champions, held under sunny skies at Rebel Park on Monday.

Signaling the symbolic end of spring practice for the Rebels, the event pitted eight teams in a series of non-football competitions. Earlier this spring UNLV went through 15 spring practices, including last Friday's annual Scarlet-Gray game, and also the team put in a lot of conditioning work.

Scored skill events on this night included the farmer's walk, sled pull, iron cross, and the grand finale, Rebel Challenge obstacle course. Red Swarm will be recognized as 2009 champions in the Lied Athletic Complex's Ernie Becker Sr. Strength and Conditioning Center for the next year.

Highlights from the competition included Isaako Aaitui turning in a strong performance in the farmers walk, and Nate Carter and Matt Murphy displayed great endurance in the iron cross. The farmers walk had players carrying barbells with weights the length of the football field while the iron cross had players holding weights straight out from their sides. In the final event of the competition, the obstacle course, Ryan Wolfe, Michael Johnson, Renan Saint Preux and Omar Clayton stood out.

2009 NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS FINAL STANDINGS

1st - Red Swarm2nd - Killer Bees3rd - Goonies4th - Fighting Cinks5th - Fly Boys6th - Canolis7th - Blue Collar Boys8th - Buck Wild

Red Swarm Roster:

Gordy Cooper (San Jacinto, CA/San Jacinto HS)Jason Heath (Penryn, CA/Del Oro HS)Malo Taumua (Honolulu, HI/Aiea HS)Wiselet Rouzard (Immokalee, FL/Immokalee HS)Jerriman Robinson (Rialto, CA/Texas Southern)Matt Murphy (Lake Forest, CA/El Toro HS)Renan Saint Preux (Immokalee, FL/Immokalee HS)Alex Young (Hughson, CA/Central Catholic HS)Jason Beauchamp (San Diego, CA/Steele Canyon HS)