SRU Army ROTC places third at Ranger Challenge

Oct. 30, 2019

Cadets from Slippery Rock University's Army ROTC program placed third out of 46 teams at a recent Ranger Challenge at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. SRU's Frontier Battalion competed among ROTC battalions from nine states in the Northeast that comprise the U.S. Army Cadet Command's 2nd Brigade.

Competitors were scored on nine military skills on a non-tactical course, in addition to a 10-kilometer ruck march and an Army Physical Fitness Test. By competing in the event, the cadets helped improve their scores on the National Order of Merit List, which is used to place cadets in the U.S. Army school of their choice after they graduate, such as Airborne Training, Air Assault Training, internships programs and other positions with active units.

SRU students who competed included:

• Dawson Ambrose, a junior homeland security major from Slippery Rock.
• Sean Aston, a junior criminology and criminal justice major from Avenel, New Jersey.
• Travis Braund, a senior petroleum and natural gas engineering major from Butler.
• Gunner Coleman, a senior exercise science major from Slippery Rock.
• Jonathan Durban, a junior safety management major from Prospect.
• Aiden Eury, a freshman early childhood/special education major from Latrobe.
• Jessica Fischer, a freshman homeland security major from Harrisville.
• Nathan Marchand, a sophomore management major from Hermitage.
• Austin Reep, a junior philosophy major from Butler.
• Logan Thrush, a senior homeland security major from Brookville.
• Zachary Vandyke, a junior safety management major from Harrisville.