College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University

October 30, 2007
Iowa State Army ROTC unit again wins regional Ranger competition
After a year's absence at the top of the charts, the Iowa State Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team is back in first place.

The team won the annual Brigade Ranger Challenge Competition, nicknamed "15 Hours of Pain," held the last weekend in October at Camp Dodge in Des Moines. The victory comes after the top Iowa State squad finished second last year and after previously winning the competition three straight years.

The top Iowa State squad finished first or second in all but one competition to run away with the event which featured 18 squads from 10 different schools from throughout the Midwest.

The team finished first in the hand grenade assault course, weapon assembly/disassembly and the 10K road march. They placed second in the Army Physical Fitness Test, the one-rope bridge, patrolling, and rifle marksmanship.

A second Iowa State team placed fifth overall. Their top finish was a fourth place in rifle marksmanship. A dual team of Iowa State and Drake University cadets also competed and finished tied for third.

For the first time, the team from the Iowa State Marines competed. They placed ninth overall with a top finish (third) in rifle marksmanship.

With their win at the regional competition, the Iowa State team is eligible for the Sandhurst competition. The international competition is a similar event which is held each spring at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The Iowa State ROTC unit last competed at Sandhurst in 2006.