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Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team finishes Sandhurst competition 29th

Austin Peay State University - APSUClarksville, TN – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) ROTC Ranger Challenge team finished 29th of 44 teams competing at Sandhurst, the world’s premier international academy military skills competition.

The Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team during the 2021 competition. (APSU)
The Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team during the 2021 competition. (APSU)

That finish matched Austin Peay’s results at the last Sandhurst competition in 2019.

The APSU cadets competed against teams from all four U.S. service academies, such as the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and the top 16 ROTC teams from across the country.

The U.S. Military Academy’s Black team finished first overall, and the Gold team finished second. The University of North Georgia won the ROTC division, in which Austin Peay State University finished 15th.

On Day 2 of the competition on Saturday, the teams navigated Sandhurst’s “Crucible” challenge. You can watch the teams maneuver the challenge here.

“The team continues to stay motivated with a lot of heart and hustle,” said Lt. Col. Mark Barton, the APSU ROTC professor of military science, on Saturday.

The Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team during the 2021 competition. (APSU)
The Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team during the 2021 competition. (APSU)

“This has been a world-class training event, and the APSU ROTC Cadets have learned a lot and had fun,” he added on Sunday.

You can see a highlight reel of the competition on West Point’s YouTube page. An Austin Peay State University cadet has a starring role near the end of the footage. Teams are marked with their school or unit names taped across their helmets.

 

Who’s on the team

Ryan Nanzer is the captain of the team. He and five other ROTC students returned from last year’s team. They are:

  • Thomas Rose.
  • Shawn King.
  • Cherady Fine.
  • Zachary Labas.
  • Thomas Porter.

The other members of the team who traveled to West Point are:

  • Quinton Nunn.
  • Thomas Haas.
  • Dylan Dominique.
  • Christopher Mains.
  • Angela Kim.

Mark Harrington II is the team’s alternate.

An Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team cadet at the 2021 competition. (APSU)
An Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team cadet at the 2021 competition. (APSU)

This year, 16 Reserve Officer Training Corps programs, 25 U.S. Military Academy teams, and three teams from other U.S. service academies. International teams are not competing this year because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team competes during "The Crucible." (APSU)
The Austin Peay State University ROTC Ranger Challenge team competes during “The Crucible.” (APSU)

The Austin Peay State University team earned its spot at Sandhurst by winning the 7th Brigade ROTC Bold Warrior Challenge in October 2019 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Austin Peay State University defeated 37 schools from Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.

 

To learn more

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