ROTC Cadet team wins the 8th Annual Mountain Man Memorial March

View larger image — A five-member team from Appalachian State University’s ROTC program won the 1st Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV Cup at the annual Mountain Man Memorial March held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Team members are Jacob Lay, left, McCarthy Shelton, Dylan Coveney, William Hintz and John Simpson. (Photo submitted)

Posted April 16, 2015 at 11:25 a.m.

BOONE—Cadets and officers from Appalachian State University’s ROTC program participated in this year’s Mountain Man Memorial March held April 11 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

For the second year in a row, the Appalachian ROTC five-person Military, Heavy, Full Marathon team won the 1st LT. Frank B. Walkup IV Cup.

The team finished the 26.2 mile military heavy march in 5 hours, 42 minutes and 2 seconds while wearing Army combat uniform and boots and carrying a 35-pound rucksack. The winner of this event is considered the overall Mountain Man Champion. LTC David Cox, professor of military science at Appalachian, won the individual 26.2 mile military heavy division (with uniform, boots and rucksack).

Twenty-four cadets from Appalachian competed in various events/categories of the Mountain Man Memorial March with cadets or cadre winning the following events:

Five-person team, Military Heavy Full Marathon March.
Individual Military Heavy, Full Marathon March
Individual Military Light, Half Marathon March
Men’s Half Marathon Run

Also, several cadets placed in the top three in their event/category.

The run and march through the Great Smoky Mountains, in and around Gatlinburg, honors University of Tennessee alumnus 1st Lt. Frank Walkup, who was killed in Iraq in 2007. The event expanded into a tribute that honors all fallen American heroes. It consists of three running distances: 10K, half marathon and full marathon. There are two marching distances: half marathon and full marathon. Appalachian’s Full Heavy team ran in honor of CPL. Bobby Callahan, brother of ROTC alumnus 1st Lt. Sean Callahan, who was killed in Iraq in 2006.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.