December 3, 2003

Xavier Rangers take third in competition

Pat Hicks
ROTC Cadet

“Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger….” This opening line of the Ranger Creed provides the foundation that not only Xavier’s Ranger team is built on, but rather the rock solid mindset on which the entire U.S. Army Ranger force operates.

The fundamental lessons that are required of America’s warriors are being taught every morning to students who volunteered to be a part of the Xavier Ranger tradition.

They force themselves to get out of bed at 6 a.m. for another rigorous PT session with Moby and Metallica blaring in the armory. Every afternoon they rearrange class schedules and study sessions in order to be at training, and every weekend they spend the extra time to go do land navigation courses or practice tactics.

“We come together as a team during training – especially PT,” said junior Elliot Brass. “We are able to pick each other up and push each other further. Everyone has some days that they are tired, but there is always a buddy there to keep you going.”

“I volunteered for Rangers my freshman year,” junior Mike Williams said. “I could see the hard work and dedication that the older guys put into it. I knew I wanted to be a part of that. The sense of purpose, commitment and toughness that I get out of Rangers has kept me coming back every year.”

The Ranger season that begins in February and concludes April with a two-man competition known as Best Ranger is only the preview of what lies ahead for the fall season.

The cadets on Xavier’s Ranger team come back to school in the fall a week early in order to get an early start on training.

The training for the Brigade Ranger Challenge at Fort Knox is the culmination of the season.

This year’s competition, in which three teams from Xavier’s brigade participated, was held on Oct. 25.

The Brigade Ranger Challenge is a one-day octathalon for 10-person teams that gives cadets from different universities throughout the region the chance to test their mental and physical limits.

The competition began at 4:30 a.m. with the Physical Fitness test, which measures the amount of push-ups and sit-ups a person can do in two minutes.
This is followed by a two-mile run for which Xavier is historically recognized as the team to beat in this event. A-Team Ranger senior captain Patrick Hicks registered the high score for the Brigade and for this test, the team as a whole finished second by four points behind the University of Dayton.

Following the PT, the Rangers competed in a variety of events such as land navigation, disassembly and reassembly of an M-16A2 rifle and then firing it, a hand grenade assault course, one Rope Bridge crossing, and a squad mission of conducting an ambush.

Notable performances throughout the day came from Williams’ perfect score of 200 out of 200 on the weapons disassembly and reassembly, which by virtue of a tiebreaker, amounted to second place in the brigade.

Junior John Wallace led the B-Team in achieving a 199. Senior Patrick Owsiak and Brass led the way in the orienteering event, combining technical ability to plot points and assess a map with physical endurance.

Senior sharpshooter Eric Wicktora provided a sorely-needed high score in the basic rifle marksmanship event, allowing Xavier to remain high in the standings despite other poor performances.

Heading into the final and most challenging event of the day, the 10K ruck march, Xavier’s A-Team was in fourth place.

This event is a 6.2-mile run in full combat gear, carrying rifles over the hills of southern Kentucky.

It’s an event that Xavier has won for the last two years and, through determination, the Xavier Rangers won it for a third-consecutive year.

“When you are on the fourth mile of that ruck run, and your feet, legs and back are really telling you to stop, the only thing that keeps you going is knowing that your buddy is trusting you to not let him down,” said junior Nate Showman as he described the event.

Xavier’s young B-Team finished in 17th place and Xavier’s A-Team took third behind OSU and EKU.