Deep in the heart of State Gym, downstairs, down a long hallway and through three doorways lies the home of the boxing club.

For many clubs, the summer offers a chance to refresh and recover. The boxing club uses it to improve and become better athletes.

Before practice begins, boxing club members Nik Heftman and Daniel Megel are warming up to the sounds of Eminem playing from a large speaker at the front of the room.

Left, left, right, left.

Heftman dodges every jab aimed for his face.

Shuffle, block, duck and shuffle again.

The practice of the day focuses on offense.

Heftman said on offensive days, the team focuses on throwing fast and hard punches and getting as many in as possible.

After 20 minutes of drilling, the boxers get a break to walk across the room to their next drill.

It also has been an opportunity for more focused training for Heftman and Megel. Both boxers train every day for competitions throughout the summer.

“There is no set offseason,” Megel said.

Most students aren’t around in the summer, but for some, training is just the beginning.

Boxing club head coach Jon Swanson said it’s all about tactical muscle memory, which is what the club mostly works on. 

Last weekend, Megel and Heftman traveled to Council Bluffs, Iowa, to compete in an amateur fight. Both boxers walked away with a win.

Heftman started boxing in February and the Council Bluffs competition was not only his first win, but his first fight.

“It was nerve-wracking,” he said. “But coach has this saying, ‘Fall back on your training,’ and that’s what I did.”

Heftman’s opponent was taller and more experienced. Heftman said he didn’t expect his opponent to come out so aggressively.

Heftman lost the first round, but returned to take the second and third rounds.

The boxers will compete again in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday. The fight is another non-collegiate amateur competition.

“We really use these fights as stepping stones, as a way to prepare us for the nationals tournament,” Swanson said.

Both Heftman and Megel said they take it one fight at a time but have high hopes for regionals and nationals, which take place during the spring semester.

Heftman and Megel plan to achieve their goals with hard work and dedication. Heftman said it takes training hard everyday with no days off because “when you work hard, you get the win.”

“[Dan and I] have one goal: To be Olympians. We’re going to do whatever is necessary to get there,” Heftman said. “The only ones who can stop us is us.”