BOCA RATON, Fla. – For the second year in a row, a new outfielder to the Florida Atlantic University baseball program has earned the honor of Iron Owl, as
Bobby Morgensen has claimed the title in 2019.
In its 12th year, the annual competition saw Morgensen finish with a total of 261 points. Last year's runner-up,
Gunnar Lambert, finished in second once again at 245.
Diamond Johnson placed third with 237.5 points, with
Nick Swan fourth (235.5) and
Jacob Pino closing out the top five (226.5).
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| All-time Iron Owl winners |
| 2008 – Lou Morey |
| 2009 – Lou Morey |
| 2010 – Alex Hudak |
| 2011 – Ahmed Garcia |
| 2012 – Kevin Alexander |
| 2013 – Kevin Alexander |
| 2014 – Cody Mizelle |
| 2015 – Seth McGarry |
| 2016 – Billy Endris |
| 2017 – Austin Kirksey |
| 2018 – Cody Wilson |
| 2019 – Morgensen |
Morgensen, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and coming to Boca Raton via Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, won the individual bench press, swimming competition, and the annual all-out finale of Iron Owl, the 10-station obstacle course. He was just off the pace in second in the gauntlet and also posted a 3.4 GPA in school during his first semester with the squad.
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"Iron Owl is a great competition that our guys look forward to competing in each year," said Head Coach
John McCormack. "It is a weeklong event that tests the guys mentally and physically. I love watching them compete against each other as individuals and teams. This year's competition was spirited and won by
Bobby Morgensen. He grinded through the week and came out on top for a well-deserved victory."
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Team Sanderson, with redshirt senior
Blake Sanderson as captain, is this year's team victors of the competition. Alongside the captain on the winning squad were
Hunter Cooley, Johnson,
Michael Schuler and
Nicholas Toney. That successful quintet outpaced the five other teams captained by
Vince Coletti, Lambert,
Zach Schneider,
Andru Summerall and Swan, respectively.
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Just a week and change remains before the 2019 FAU baseball season commences, as Opening Night is set for next Friday, Feb. 15. The Cincinnati Bearcats are in town for a three-game series, with the first of three beginning at 6:30 p.m. that night. To purchase tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or visit
baseball's ticket website.
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ABOUT FAU BASEBALL'S IRON OWL COMPETITION
The Iron Owl award is a competition that debuted prior to the 2008 preseason. The goal is the encouragement of team camaraderie, while at the same time making sure each individual player understands what is like to compete on a daily basis. It is the program's aim that each player reaches their highest potential in the classroom, on the field and in the weight room. The award identifies the strongest Owl baseball player - both mentally and physically. In addition to team and individual competitions (including box run, garage run, squats, water polo, relay, grip, and an obstacle course), off the field, each player's GPA from the fall semester is also factored in.
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