For Immediate Release October 28, 2005

For More Information Contact: Major Brett Hamrick, 317-274-0073

IUPUI Ranger Challenge Team Comes Out on Top in Regional Competition

IUPUI's 9th Brigade ROTC Five Person Ranger Challenge Team.

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Ranger Challenge team won the 9th Brigade ROTC Five Person Ranger Challenge Competition held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, near Columbus, IN, on Oct. 21-23.

The Jaguar team defeated challengers from 9 teams representing senior ROTC programs at Notre Dame, Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana Universities, among other schools.

"The IUPUI team won this year's event with the best showing ever by any Ranger Challenge team from IUPUI," said Major Jeff McEvilly, the IUPUI Ranger Challenge team advisor. "The team's steady performance in the events helped ensure their success. Their time on the 10 km Road March, run in full combat equipment, was a blistering 67 minutes."

"The team crushed the competition because they knew the standards were tough, and they raised their level of training to meet the challenge," said McEvilly. "During the pressure of competition they were mentally and physically tough, qualities that will serve them well as leaders in the Army."

The teams competed in eleven very challenging events. Friday night started at 8:00 PM with a night orienteering course where each team earned points by locating points in the dark woods. The next morning began at 5:30 am with the Army Physical Fitness Test, a test which measure pushups, setups and a 2 mile run. The team average was 283 points out of 300. As Saturday continued, the team then competed in the One Rope Bridge, Humvee Pull, Weapons Disassembly, Casualty Treatment, Litter Carry, Obstacle Course and Host Nation Linkup, all the while conducting land navigation to arrive at each event location. Sunday morning brought the culminating event, a 10 km (6.3mile) forced march, which the Jaguars dominated.

The team captain was Cadet Michael Mamach. Team members were Cadets James Hayes, Paul Schumacher, Josh Warrick, and Matt Young. Alternates were Cadets Bob Portteus, Robert Flannagan, Stuart Barnes and Tyler Bell.

For more information on how you can compete as a member of the IUPUI Army ROTC Ranger Challenge Team, contact Major Brett Hamrick at 274-0073. ###