Navy ROTC Answers Call to Battlefrog
鶹Ѱteam eliminates Pac-12 rival, but West Point wins the day
People are taking “WeekendWarrior” adventures to a new level asmud runs, obstacle courses and othermilitary-style athletic competitionspop up around the country.
Some Buffs are especially well adaptedfor these races: As ROTC students,they’re training anyway.
So when the Battlefrog ObstacleRace Series and ESPN invited CU’sNavy ROTC unit to participate inthe ESPN College Championship, abracket-style competition with $10,000in scholarships on the line, the Buffsjumped at the chance.
Dan McComas (PolSci’17) took advantageof a five-day March “vacation”outside of Atlanta, Ga., to representCU, along with Emily Bell (Bus’19),Abby Lealaimatafao (IntlAf ’19) andMike Johnson (IntlAf ’18). The raceaired on ESPN in July.
“We didn’t do any training for it,” McComas said, adding that ROTC traininghad prepared them well for the obstacles.
The course featured 20 obstacles spreadover 400 meters, including a 12-foot ladderwall, “Normandy Jacks,” which requirecrawling through mud under wires, and the“tsunami,” a slanted wall competitors runup, crest and slide down.
The Colorado crew, one of 16 teams,beat Arizona State, the other participatingPac-12 school, in the first round. The Buffsfell short against Georgia Tech in the nexthead-to-head matchup, and a team from(no surprise) West Point won the overallcompetition for the second time in a row.
“I’m not really a TV person,” McComassaid, “but it definitely was a good experience.”
Photo courtesy Battlefrog Obstacle Race Series