The victorious Red Team following Tuesday's Omaha Challenge finale.
Burdi Wins Third Omaha Challenge, Red Takes Team Title
December 01, 2015 | Baseball
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Solak finishes second for the third straight year; Dale, Smith and Funkhouser round out top five
By: Garett Wall
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Junior pitcher Zack Burdi won his third straight individual title while the Red Team clinched the overall championship during the final day of the Louisville baseball team's 10th annual Omaha Challenge on Tuesday.
The only player to ever win multiple individual titles, Burdi scored 194 points during the five-day competition and finished 10 points clear of junior infielder and runner-up Nick Solak with 184 points. It marked the third consecutive year that duo has finished first and second in the Omaha Challenge as Burdi was 25 points clear of Solak in 2014 and was 13 points ahead in 2013. Sophomore pitcher Chandler Dale earned a third-place finish for the second straight year and was just one point behind Solak with 183 points. Junior catcher Will Smith (167 points) and senior pitcher Kyle Funkhouser (166 points) rounded out the top five.
DZack Burdi during Tuesday's medley en route to winning his third straight title.uring Tuesday's final event, Burdi closed out his third consecutive individual title by winning the medley with a time of 1:09.28, more than two seconds ahead of second-place Solak at 1:11.66. Smith was third in the medley at 1:11.75 and was followed by Clemons at 1:13.15 and Kidston at 1:13.37. The last day of competition started early Tuesday morning with the 100-meter swim, won by Mundt in a time of 56.62 seconds. Dale was second with a time of 1:07.68 and Bollmer took third at 1:11.63.
On Monday, the Louisville players returned to competition following the Thanksgiving break with a pair of team scoring events. The Red Team earned 100 points by winning the dodgeball event and added an additional 100 points with a victory in the truck push.
The 2015 Omaha Challenge began on Nov. 22 with the tire flip and tug-of-war events. Harrington set the pace in the tire flip with a time of 47.75, while Burdi (50.88) and Funkhouser (54.50) followed. In the tug-of-war, the White Team dominated the event winning all four rounds and 50 total points.
On Nov. 23, the early morning shuttle run at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium started day two of competition with Burdi finishing with a winning time of 7:53.17. Taylor was second with a time 8:04.88, while Solak finished third with a time of 8:04.93. Later that afternoon, the team's competed in a series of go-kart races with the White Team earning the win and the 100 points. The first week of the Omaha Challenge concluded on Nov. 24 with the 75-point bike race, won by the Red Team.
The Omaha Challenge concludes a busy fall semester for Louisville players, who will now look to produce a strong finish in the classroom as final exams begin on Dec. 9. Following a break for the Holidays, classes resume on Jan. 6 for the spring semester and the Cardinals will conduct their first official, full-squad practice session for the 2016 season on Jan. 29. Â ABOUT THE OMAHA CHALLENGE Soon after being hired to lead the Cardinals, head coach Dan McDonnell introduced an intense test of physical and mental stamina during his first fall at the University of Louisville in 2006 with what he refers to as the Omaha Challenge.
Two captains are selected and teams are drafted to compete against one another in a five-day series of events that tests the athleticism of the teams and the individuals, with a team crown and an individual champion to be named at the conclusion. Sports performance coach Zach Farrel oversees the intense competition, while also motivating his charges to extend themselves to their limits. Â FOLLOWING THE CARDINALS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball. Â
