CAMP GRUBER — Confidence building was a big part of the agenda at an ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Ranger Challenge on Friday and Saturday.

The event featured more than 120 ROTC cadets from five universities competing for bragging rights as the 2008 Ranger Challenge champions. About 20 of the 120 cadets were female.

The nine-member teams were from Northeastern State University, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Approximately 70 Thunderbird Youth Academy students from Pryor were on hand to participate in rappelling, to observe the ROTC groups and view the weaponry on display.

“Rappelling is a big confidence builder when you’re 35 feet high in the air with nothing but a rope holding you up,” said Oklahoma Army National Guard Maj. Keith Varner. “You think — there’s nothing I can’t do.”

ROTC teams and their competition were making an impression on the academy students, Varner said.

National Guard Recruiter Trevin Powell said at least four members of Thunderbird Youth Academy were recruited by Saturday afternoon. He expects there will be at least 10-12 recruits sign up because of the event.

Several cadets from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond came to root for the campus team and to practice a little rappelling.

“I get a thrill out of being up high,” said Sarai Davila.

“I love to be scared,” said Dorothea Pruiett.

Rappelling gives kids self-confidence and self-reliance, Varner said.

Military equipment was getting a lot of attention during the competition.

“We’re the only state that has a HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) launcher,” Varner said, explaining to the crowd around the system waiting to see how it operates. Also on hand were static displays of infantry weapons including howitzers and a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

Competitors drilled until 9 p.m. Friday night. They were awakened at 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Varner said. They were ready for competition at 5:30 a.m.

NSU was the first competitive team to hit the “one-rope bridge” on a river after running two miles.

Two members of each team had to get wet. One swam across the river with a rope he tied to a tree on the opposite side. Then the others grounded the other end of the rope to a tree on their side.

NSU’s Joseph Muse of Wagoner got the rope across the river but had to get up the mud embankment to tie it to a tree.

Other team members had to go hand-over-hand to slide across on the rope. Wyatt King had to untie the rope before he swam across, the last member of the team.

It took NSU’s team 5 minutes 48 seconds to accomplish the feat and head off for the last leg of competition — a four-mile run to the finish line. At the end of the competition, NSU placed first in the rope event.



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