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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

This has been a summer like none other for the Callaway football team, but one thing has remained the same.

With official preseason practice getting underway, Callaway held its annual ironman competition last week, with players participating in a number of different event.

The ironman began on Thursday and wrapped up on Friday, and the top-10 finishers will be recognized and treated to a meal at Jim Bob’s.

“They work really hard to get to this point in the weight room, and with the agilities, plyometrics that we do,” said Pete Wiggins, who is in his 16th season as Callaway’s head coach. “It’s great competition to finish in the top 10, and to ultimately try to be the ironman.”

The events are designed to test the players in different areas, including speed, strength, agility, flexibility, jumping ability, endurance, and so forth.

The competition finishes with a one-mile run, which is a test for the players at the close of a grueling competition.

“We look forward to this, and I think that’s a test of the character of your football team when you go out and run a mile, and you see how hard the guys compete,” Wiggins said. “It really tells the tale on how you’re going to perform on Friday night.”

Wiggins also enjoys seeing the bigger players compete, and there’s a separate category for them.

“We also have what we call the Iron Hogs,” Wiggins said. “It’s guys that weigh over 200 pounds, so that’s a special competition as well.”

Jalin Shephard, a senior defensive back and wide receiver, feels the ironman competition is a way to see how much progress a player has made over the years.

“You can see how far you’ve come,” Shephard said. “For me, from my freshman year, it’s a big jump.”