{"id":28574,"date":"2020-03-12T05:30:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T10:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=28574"},"modified":"2020-03-12T01:53:18","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T06:53:18","slug":"austin-peay-state-university-ranger-challenge-team-to-make-second-straight-trip-to-sandhurst-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2020\/03\/12\/austin-peay-state-university-ranger-challenge-team-to-make-second-straight-trip-to-sandhurst-competition\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Peay State University Ranger Challenge team to make second straight trip to Sandhurst competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – For the second straight year, the Austin Peay  State University (APSU) Ranger Challenge team has earned a spot at Sandhurst, the world\u2019s premier international academy military skills competition. <\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay State University ROTC cadet Cherady Fine trains at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, recently. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the University, it means Austin Peay State University has its name back in the international competition,\u201d said ROTC Cadet Daniel Cole<\/a>, team captain. \u201cWe can say, \u2018We\u2019re Austin Peay State University and Clarksville, Tennessee, and this is what our ROTC department is bringing.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Sandhurst competition is April 17th-18th, 2020 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and includes 49 teams from 13 international military academies, 16 ROTC programs and four U.S. service academies.<\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay State University ROTC cadets train at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, recently. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

The goal: Improving on last year<\/h3>\n

Austin Peay finished eighth among the Reserve Officers\u2019 Training Corps teams last year and 29th<\/sup> overall. The U.S. Military Academy Black team won the event last year, and Georgia State University won the ROTC division.<\/p>\n

[320left]APSU started strong, finishing the first day of the competition in third place among ROTC competitors, but the team fell off on the second day, tiring because of the mountainous West Point terrain.<\/p>\n

The team has changed how it\u2019s training this year, Cole said.’<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time around it\u2019s more strength-focused with leg strength and endurance,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of rucking and weight training, increasing our leg strength to be able to go for a long time.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cole said he hopes the training will lift the team on the second day of the competition, \u201cwhere we\u2019re not worn out, our bodies aren\u2019t beaten down and we can think coherently, \u2018All right, let\u2019s go. Let\u2019s execute.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Daniel<\/a>

Daniel Cole rests during recent training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018Showcasing tenacity and grit’<\/h3>\n

The U.S. Military Academy has hosted the competition since 1967, and it has grown to include teams from across the country and the world. The competition takes the cadets through a rigorous 36-hour course \u201cto test warrior spirit, team cohesion and dedication to mission accomplishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The course covers 27 miles and tests individual and squad military skill mastery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sandhurst competition teaches cadets the mental and physical toughness, the relentlessness and the discipline that\u2019s necessary to work as a team to accomplish the mission,\u201d said Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, U.S. Military Academy superintendent. \u201cIt also strengthens relationships with our allies and partners to foster multinational cohesion and interoperability while showcasing the tenacity and grit of future military leaders from across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

[320right]The APSU team earned its spot at Sandhurst by winning the 7th<\/sup> Brigade ROTC Bold Warrior Challenge<\/a> in October at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Austin Peay State University defeated 37 schools from Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. <\/p>\n

Lt. Col. Eric A. Westphal, APSU\u2019s professor of military science, witnessed \u201cthe tenacity and grit\u201d of APSU\u2019s cadets firsthand. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey were motivated from minute one, proving that even in terrible weather and excruciating pain, as a team they can achieve anything,\u201d he said. \u201cThis principle is exactly what we teach here at ROTC. These young leaders are the epitome of what it takes to be U.S. Army officers.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cole expects team will perform well at Sandhurst as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody knows what the competition is going to be like. It\u2019s a hard task,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to go out and do the best we can, and I think with our training, we\u2019re going to have successful results.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay State University ROTC team is preparing for a second straight trip to the international Sandhurst military skills competition. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

Who\u2019s on the team?<\/h3>\n

Eleven APSU cadets will travel to Sandhurst next month, but 14 are on the team. They are: <\/p>\n