UPD Offices from left, Vaughn, Samuels, Shipp and Hughs placed fifth in LawFit Challenge
OXFORD, Miss. – Four University of Mississippi Police Department officers won fifth place at the recent National LawFit Challenge in Olive Branch.
Representing UPD were Lt. Matt Samuels, Officer Michael Hughes, Officer Marvin Vaughn and Officer Joshua Shipp. The event featured 114 officers competing as individuals, two-man teams and four-man teams. UPD’s four-man team placed fifth. Individually, Samuels placed 25th; Hughes, 64th; Vaughn, 32nd; and Shipp, 13th.
“In November of 1989, Dr. David L. Bever, a professor of health education at George Mason University, developed the LawFit Program as a job-related fitness program for law enforcement personnel,” said Ray Hawkins, UPD associate director. “The LawFit Challenge grew out of this workout program.”
The challenge is a series of six fitness and job-related competitive events, including the one-repetition maximum bench press (score based on percentage of body weight), one-minute timed sit-up test, pull-ups, 1.5-mile run and a 200-yard agility course, which mimics suspect foot pursuit.
“Law enforcement agencies from across the United States participate in regional and national competitions,” Hawkins said. “Olive Branch was selected as the host city for the national competition.”