Written by: NMSU Athletic Dept.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Collegiate football is a year around commitment for student-athletes. The regular season is a short four months a year but it is the other eight months out of the year that prepares those student-athletes for the grueling season.
The New Mexico State football team started its preparation for the 2008 season in late January with a winter conditioning program that head football strength and conditioning coach Matt Walter leads. The nine-week program spanned from Jan. 21- March 21 and consisted of four days a week of lifting weights and speed work and three days a week of conditioning at 6:00 a.m.
"I thought our winter conditioning this ear when very well," Walter said. "I was happy with the improvement and refocus of our players. This was the best off-season in terms of improved numbers and attitude."
For all their hard work and dedication during the eight weeks the results showed when it came time to test the student-athletes in a variety lifting, agility and speed exercises. Highlighting the lifting aspect was Polo Gutierrez, Chris Nwoko and Brandon Perez in the squat. For the first time in school history the Aggies had three players squat over 700 pounds. Gutierrez led the way by squatting 715 pounds, Nwoko followed at 710 and Perez at 705. The Aggies had 19 players squat 500 pounds or more during testing. Compared to last season the team’s overall squat average improved from 444 pounds to 457 pounds.
In the bench press Ana Tuiasosopo was top dog with a mark of 425 pounds, Oren Long followed at 415, Derek Hinkley and Perez at 410 and Chuck Taylor and Dylan Moss at 405. Gutierrez also pressed 400 pounds. In all, 17 players recorded a bench press mark of 350 or better.
Perez again featured his strength in the power clean leading the team with a mark of 355 pounds, Nwoko followed at 350. Twenty players hit the mark of 300 pounds in the power clean.
Besides strength, speed was also a focus for Walter and the team during winter conditioning. Brennen Baiamonte led the Aggies with an impressive 4.36 40-yard dash electric time, while Tonny Glynn clocked a 4.43 electric time. Other 4.4 times or better included Davon House, Julius Fleming, LaVorick Williams, Marcus Anderson, Vincent Butler and Chris Williams. Compared to last season the team’s overall 40-yard dash time improved from 5.21 to 4.97.
Other tests included the vertical jump, the L-Drill and standing long jump. In the vertical jump Chris Williams recorded a vertical of 37.5 inches. Twenty-one Aggies recorded a vertical jump of 30-inches or more. The L-Drill measures the student-athletes ability to change direction. Chris Williams had a team-high time of 6.76, followed closely by Mark Waters (6.77) and Baiamonte (6.78). The Aggies had 17 players record seven seconds or less in the L-Drill test. In the standing long jump Vincent Butler recorded a mark of 10-7.5 feet, Marcus Anderson followed at 10-6.5 feet. In all, nine players recorded a leap of 10 feet or more in the stand long jump.
The Aggies are now on the field in their second week of spring practice and the Aggies look faster and stronger thanks to their hard work and dedication during the nine week winter conditioning period and the leadership of Walter.
