CHARLESTON, SC (Nov. 15)--For the fourth year in a row The Citadel's Army ROTC Ranger Challenge team has placed first in a competition against all ROTC programs in North and South Carolina. The annual competition, established by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, was held this year at Fort Jackson in Columbia.

     Captain Joseph Hopkins, the instructor for the team and an assistant professor of military science at The Citadel, attributed the team's consistent success to their emphasis on "working smarter and not harder."

     Nineteen Citadel cadets competed in eight different events against cadets from Clemson, UNC, Wake Forest, USC, and 22 other regional colleges. The Citadel's Ranger Challenge team placed first in the Army Physical Fitness Test, exceeding the Army's maximum standard by 15 points. The team also won first place in basic rifle marksmanship, orienteering, and a 10K road march with 30 pounds of equipment. The remaining events, in which The Citadel finished near the top, were patrolling, weapons assembly, a grenade assault course, and a one-rope bridge assembly and crossing task.

     Competition was steep, as many participants from other colleges were prior service personnel, including 70 percent of second-place Campbell University's team. Following the two day competition The Citadel's Ranger Challenge team was awarded the first place trophy and a guidon streamer from the 5th (Carolina) Cadet Brigade. The team's next scheduled event is the East Coast regional competition in which about 135 schools will participate.