Sprinting down the ramp with rubber M16 rifles they retrieved from the top of the parking deck, the runners looked to the man waiting at the bottom for their next orders.

“What are you doing?” Army Captain Dale Burbank asked with feigned dismay. “You guys don’t need a rifle; get a compass!”

The compasses were located where the rifles had been, so the runners went back to the parking deck.

The rifles and compasses were switched to simulate the chaos and confusion encountered in battle, said Lt. Col. Steve Payne, head of NIU’s ROTC program.

“They mess with your head at Ranger School,” Payne said.

The trial was the Unknown Distance Run, one of many challenges NIU’s ROTC cadets faced Saturday during the second annual Ranger Stakes Competition.

The six-hour event was designed not only to prepare for future military training but also to engage in fun competition, Maj. Pete Yedinak said.

Multiple precautions, including reflective vests and traffic controllers, were in place.

“These guys can sometimes drive themselves too hard,” Yedinak said.

Six teams consisting of 11 men and one woman started the morning with the Army Physical Fitness Test consisting of push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run. Many achieved perfect scores in several categories.

Later came a grenade toss that tested the cadets in accuracy – no easy task given the strong winds that blew many of the small metal balls off course.

Cadets then participated in the Unknown Distance Run where they ran to several checkpoints to pick up maps telling them their next direction.

Cadets took a written exam on leadership and tactical skills before marching 10 kilometers in combat boots with 30-pound rucksacks strapped to their backs.

They finished the event with a 600-meter litter carry and a 200-meter swim at Gabel Hall.

Pizza and prizes donated by Ranger Joe’s, including a set of Ka-Bar knives and CamelBak backpacks, awaited competitors at the day’s end.

“I think around 7 p.m. [the exhaustion is] going to hit,” said Todd Gross, a sophomore criminology major and cadet. “Your body doesn’t realize what it has done.”

The event focused on a thorough workout instead of just one part of the body, said Staff Sgt. Mike Moyers, a junior English major.

Those interested in competing should enroll in military science, said event organizer Joe Stupak, a junior political science major, whose team won the event.

Stupak said he hopes to become an ROTC battalion commander and eventually attend Ranger School.

“Lots of people talk about what they [can do], but this is where you put your money where your mouth is.”