The University of Hawai'i football team yesterday opened training camp in a historic position — No. 24 in the USA Today preseason top-25 coaches' poll.

It is the first preseason national ranking in the football program's history.

"Nice," UH quarterback Colt Brennan said. "That's really awesome. These things are based on what you did last year. It's nice for our team to be recognized. It's exciting."

Slotback Ryan Grice-Mullins recalled the frustration of the Warriors' 5-7 season in 2005.

"To go to 11-3 the next year and then be ranked, that means a lot," Grice-Mullins said. "It shows how we built up this program. I'm proud of that."

Brennan added: "I can't wait to get started."

The Warriors took the first step yesterday, reporting to June Jones' ninth training camp as UH head coach.

They are staying in the two connecting dance studios on the second floor of the school's athletic complex.

There are cots, but no school-issued blankets.

Showers and restrooms are located a floor below.

"It's rough," said defensive end Josh Leonard, a first-year Warrior, "but this is camp. Camp isn't supposed to be easy."

The players spent the day undergoing physical examinations, attending seminars on NCAA rules, and paying off parking fines.

They also were tested in the 225-pound bench press.

Outside linebacker R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane, a third-year sophomore from 'Aiea High School, had a team-high 40 repetitions.

"I was training hard this offseason to get my body in shape," Kiesel-Kauhane said. "It just paid off."

Aaron Bain, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound junior slotback, led the receivers with 30 repetitions of 225 pounds. He had 26 225-pound lifts during a session in his first semester at UH, and 29 repetitions in March.

"I would have been disappointed if I got less than 29," Bain said. "I always want to do at least one better."

Bain, who answers to the nickname "Yoda," also bench-pressed a maximum 395 pounds. He said he failed in his attempt at 405 pounds.

"I'm going to keep working at it," Bain said. "I'm pretty short. I have to make up for it in strength and speed."

The next hurdle is today's 220s — 10 sprints of 220 yards, with time limits and rest intervals based on a player's position.

Thirty-five players — including Grice-Mullins, Davone Bess, Solomon Elimimian, Hercules Satele and Michael Lafaele — will not have to complete all 10 sprints after it was determined they worked hard enough on their own this summer and reported to camp in mid-season shape.

"Everybody dreads the 220s," said Lafaele, the 290-pound starting defensive right tackle who lost 20 pounds during the summer. "I really worked at it this summer to get into shape."

Of the reductions, Mel deLaura, who is in charge of the summer conditioning program, said: "It wasn't an incentive or anything. I just felt they were in good condition."

The Warriors also prepared for the two weeks living in the dance studios.

Offensive lineman Raphael Ieru brought an XBox 360, which is connected to a 25-inch color television. By yesterday afternoon, several Warriors were competing in NCAA Football 08.

Linebacker Blaze Soares and defensive end Victor Clore bleached their hair, then dyed in green stars.

"We used green stencils," Soares said. "We wanted to support our school colors."

Soares also brought bags of li hing-flavored treats.

"Gotta have snacks," he said.

Defensive tackle Siave Seti placed his mattress on the studio's lanai.

"It's really hot in there," he said, pointing to the studios. "I have to stay outside. I'm a watchdog. I have to watch everybody else."

He also said he preferred to sleep without the box springs. "Springs are bad for your back," Seti said.

Seti will need to be in shape for the midnight pillow fight, a rite-of-Warrior tradition.

"I heard playing dead is the best thing," said Leonard, who transferred from a junior college.

Another JC transfer, defensive end Francis Maka, positioned his cot near the exit.

"I'll be the first one out that door," he said.

MCMACKIN SAYS DEFENSE WILL HONE TACKLING SKILLS

Greg McMackin, who is beginning his second tour as UH defensive coordinator, said he will emphasize tackling during training camp.

"We will work on tackling every day," said McMackin, who previously coached in Manoa in 1999, Jones' first season as UH head coach. "Technique-wise, we're going to be sound."

McMackin said he will stress open-field tackling in the competition at free safety. Keao Monteilh and Desmond Thomas will rotate with the first team. McMackin said he also will evaluate Erik Robinson and Le'Marcus Gibson at free safety.

Jacob Patek is entering as the No. 1 strong safety. Kealoha Porlas is the top backup.

Erik Pedersen, who moved back to linebacker in the spring, and Tyson Kafentzis, a starting outside linebacker who requested a move, also will compete at free safety.

"We need to get the best 11 guys on the field," McMackin said. "That's our job: to evaluate. We still have a long time before our first game. We still have some time to evaluate."

McMackin said the two No. 1 cornerbacks at the end of spring practice — Myron Newberry on the right, Gerard Lewis on the left — will retain those spots entering today's first practice.

"That's our starting point," McMackin said. "I've got full confidence in both of them."

The competition will intensify as early as next week when juniors Ryan Mouton, Calvin Roberts and Keenan Jones might join the team. Mouton and Roberts are junior-college transfers awaiting certification of their transcripts. Jones needs to complete work in a summer-school class that ends next Friday.

Newberry and Lewis are both about 5 feet 8, but McMackin said their height will not be factors in the Warriors' zone-dog schemes.

In 1999, McMackin noted, the starting cornerbacks were "Shawndel Tucker, who was shorter than them, and Quincy LeJay, who was 5-9 and slower than them. I've never been concerned about height as long as the guy can jump."

In team testing last March, Newberry had a vertical jump of 34 inches. Lewis' vertical jump was 30 inches.

Both ran the pro-agility shuttle in 4.19 seconds, tied for 13th on the team.

"We're going to do different things in the secondary," McMackin said. "They're not going to be as manned up."

In some defensive schemes, a safety will roll up to cover a pass route in the secondary. There also will be situations when Patek, who is 6 feet, will match up against a tall wide receiver.

"He can do it all," McMackin said of Patek, who has been timed at 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 4.13 seconds in the pro-agility shuttle. Patek's vertical jump is 30 1/2 inches.

"He has very good skills," McMackin added.

WRIGHT-JACKSON GIVEN 'CONDITIONAL' CLEARANCE

Running back Leon Wright-Jackson, the jewel of the 2007 recruiting class, has received "conditional approval" to compete for the Warriors.

Wright-Jackson attended a junior college in Washington last academic year. This month, he completed work on an associate degree, an NCAA eligibility requirement for a junior-college transfer.

Wright-Jackson arrived in town Wednesday, and underwent medical tests yesterday afternoon.

He was an All-America running back at Pasco (Wash.) High School in 2004.

He attended Nebraska as a freshman in 2005, but opted to transfer at the end of the 2006 spring semester.

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