CU team eliminates Pac-12 rival, but West Point wins the day听
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People are taking 鈥淲eekend听Warrior鈥� adventures to a new level as听mud runs, obstacle courses and other听military-style athletic competitions听pop up around the country.听
Some Buffs are especially well adapted听for these races: As ROTC students,听they鈥檙e training anyway.听
So when the Battlefrog Obstacle听Race Series and ESPN invited CU鈥檚听Navy ROTC unit to participate in听the ESPN College Championship, a听bracket-style competition with $10,000听in scholarships on the line, the Buffs听jumped at the chance.听
Dan McComas (PolSci鈥�17) took advantage听of a five-day March 鈥渧acation鈥澨齩utside of Atlanta, Ga., to represent听CU, along with Emily Bell (Bus鈥�19),听Abby Lealaimatafao (IntlAf 鈥�19) and听Mike Johnson (IntlAf 鈥�18). The race听aired on ESPN in July.听
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 do any training for it,鈥� McComas said, adding that ROTC training听had prepared them well for the obstacles.听
The course featured 20 obstacles spread听over 400 meters, including a 12-foot ladder听wall, 鈥淣ormandy Jacks,鈥� which require听crawling through mud under wires, and the听鈥渢sunami,鈥� a slanted wall competitors run听up, crest and slide down.听
The Colorado crew, one of 16 teams,听beat Arizona State, the other participating听Pac-12 school, in the first round. The Buffs听fell short against Georgia Tech in the next听head-to-head matchup, and a team from听(no surprise) West Point won the overall听competition for the second time in a row.听
鈥淚鈥檓 not really a TV person,鈥� McComas听said, 鈥渂ut it definitely was a good experience.鈥�
Photo courtesy Battlefrog Obstacle Race Series
