Austin Peay ROTC Ranger Challenge team finishes 29th at world-class Sandhurst competition

The event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

The APSU team during the 2021 competition.

(Posted April 18, 2021)

The team during the 2021 competition.

Austin Peay’s ROTC Ranger Challenge team finished 29^th of 44 teams competing at Sandhurst, the world’s premier international academy military skills competition.

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 finished 15^th.

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.

“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 at West Point’s YouTube page. An Austin Peay cadet has a starring role near the end of the footage. Teams are marked with their school or unit names taped across their helmets.

An APSU cadet at the 2021 competition.

Who’s on the team

Austin Peay ROTC Ranger Challenge team finishes 29th at world-renown Sandhurst competition Austin Peay’s ROTC Ranger Challenge team finished 29th of 44 teams competing at Sandhurst, the world’s premier international academy military skills competition. 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 finished 15th. The event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. On Day 2 or 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. “This has been a world class training event, and the APSU ROTC Cadets have learned a lot and had fun.” You can see a highlight reel of the competition at West Point’s YouTube page. An Austin Peay 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. 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 team earned its spot at Sandhurst by winning the 7th Brigade ROTC Bold Warrior Challenge in October 2019 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Austin Peay defeated 37 schools from Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. To learn more • To learn more about Austin Peay’s ROTC program, go to https://www.apsu.edu/rotc. • For more about the Sandhurst competition, visit https://www.westpoint.edu/military/department-of-military-instruction/sandhurst.

The team competes during "The Crucible."

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.

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

To learn more

To learn more about Austin Peay’s ROTC program, go to https://www.apsu.edu/rotc.
For more about the Sandhurst competition, visit https://www.westpoint.edu/military/department-of-military-instruction/sandhurst.

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