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Ryan Newfrock ROTC

Men's Cross Country/Track Athletic Communications

Senior Ryan Newfrock Preparing for Army Service

Disney Meet Canceled due to Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew has forced the cancellation of Saturday's Disney Cross Country Classic at ESPN's Wide World of Sports, so the Stetson men's and women's cross country teams will compete next on Oct. 14 at the USF Invitational in Tampa.

Despite this weekend's cancellation, men's senior co-captain Ryan Newfrock will be leading a squad of 16 Army ROTC cadets, members of the local Eagle Battalion, at the annual Army 10-Miler in Washington, D.C.

It will be Newfrock's third time competing in the event, which welcomes over 26,000 participants from all over the country.  The 10-mile course takes runners past several national monuments, along the national mall, over the Potomac River and eventually to the finish line at the Pentagon.  It is hosted by the Military District of Washington and is the second-largest 10-mile race in the United States.

Last year, Newfrock finished 589th among all male runners with a time of 1:06.16, an average of 6:38 per mile.

"It was an awesome experience," he said.

This year, Newfrock has assumed a much larger role, serving as team coach and event coordinator.

"This year is pretty big for me, being the one to organize it," Newfrock said.  "I am responsible for everything, managing a budget of  about $11,000.  I ordered team polo shirts, I created and distributed summer training schedules, I lead the team at weekly practices, and I arranged the transportation and hotel rooms for the trip."

ARMY ROTC

Serving and leading is nothing new for Newfrock, who is beginning his fourth year in the Stetson University ROTC program.  The Reserve Officer's Training Corps prepares cadets to be future officers in the United States military.  Newfrock will become a second lieutenant and entry-level officer in the United States Army during a commissioning ceremony at Stetson next spring.

"One of the big lessons that is preached to us here is an officer should be an invisible force," Newfrock said.  "You should allow your leadership to be a service to your subordinates.  That really speaks to me because you are the one making the plans, but in the end, if you are successful, it is because your subordinates carried it out so well.  But if you fail, the responsibility is on you."

Time demands for an a ROTC cadet are extremely high.  In addition to the regular course load of any typical Stetson student, Newfrock takes an extra 2-4 credit hour class each semester and an additional three-hour lab as a separate curriculum that focuses on leadership and preparation of becoming an officer.  In addition, specific courses are required for commissioning, including computing, military history, and speech classes.

8241While the ARMY ROTC does provide some scholarships, Newfrock had to compete against 130 of his peers for just 26 slots in the Eagle Battalion, which represents cadets from Stetson, Bethune-Cookman, Embry-Riddle and Daytona State.  With strong test scores in physical fitness and academics, Newfrock earned a three-year scholarship, which pays for tuition, books, some housing, as well as a monthly stipend.

"I think it really clicked with me my freshmen year," Newfrock said.  "I put a lot of effort into getting my scholarship.  I decided that it was something that I wanted to do, and the scholarship opportunities were something I could not pass up.  I wanted to give my parents the peace of mind that they weren't going to have to work another 10 years to pay off my tuition."

Those that sign a scholarship contract with U.S. Army agree to serve a minimum of eight years, including time in service from active duty, national guard, and reserve components.

Newfrock says his interest in the military was inspired by his father's 22 years of service.

ORDER OF MERIT LIST

Army cadets not only compete for scholarships, but for what branch they will serve in after commissioning.  The Order of Merit List ranks all cadets throughout the nation on a variety of factors, and those at the top of the list get first opportunity to choose a branch in which they would like to serve.

One major factor that go into a cadet's merit ranking is the Physical Fitness Test (PFT), which consists of two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a timed two-mile run.  

8242"Cadet-wise, I would say a good way to stand out is have a good run time," Newfrock said.  "Most people struggle with the time, because the maximum for a male is a 13-minute 2-mile.  For cross country athletes, that is a walk in the park."

Newfrock recently posted a 290 PFT score (out of 300).  That along with his 3.659 GPA, give him a ranking in the top 20 percent of all cadets.  However, Newfrock's top choice is aviation (his father was a helicopter pilot), which he says is one of the most sought-after branches in the Army.  And while top 20 percent may be a good enough rank some years, it often depends on the military's need any given year.  Therefore, extracurricular activities become a necessary way for cadets to stand out (and add to their merit score), much like a student applying to law school or medical school.

"By competing in athletics with cross country, I I received extra points for that," Newfrock said.  "I received extra points for having a language, I know Russian, I have a part time job, I was an ROTC recruiter, I was captain of my intramural basketball team.  All these things give you extra points.  ROTC students are generally busier than the average run-of-the-mill student.  However, time management is a priority, as you can tell.  I managed to be successful, even doing a collegiate sport."

SUMMER TRAINING8243

While many other college students spent their summers relaxing and vacationing, Newfrock continued his officer training at two U.S. military bases.

First, Newfrock spent 30 days in the ROTC advance camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky, which included intense coursework, more PFT tests, and a 14-day field environment session in applied tactics.

Newfrock then immediately headed to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he trained with the 182 First Attack Reconnaissance Battalion and the combat aviation brigade.  He spent time with apache helicopter pilots and participated in training missions on one the military's most powerful pieces of equipment.

"I had one opportunity to operate the hoist during a field mission to pick up a infantry soldier that was training in their local unit," Newfrock said.  "There was a lot of interbranch communication and teamwork.  It was an awesome experience for me, a cadet about to enter the real military."

SERVING IN SPORT

Newfrock is now in his third season on the Stetson cross country team.  Originally a walk-on as a sophomore, Newfrock now receives a partial athletic scholarship and serves as a team co-captain, along with Joe Beery.

As a team leader, Newfrock relies heavily on the lessons he has been taught in the ROTC and applies them in his role on the cross country squad.

"Your leadership should be a service to your subordinates.  You should empower your soldiers just as you empower your teammates.  You should be an invisible force that knows when to handle to situations that require an outside force.  You should encourage your teammates, your soldiers to be self-sufficient.  You should create an internal drive to better themselves.

"With the team, I think we have done a fantastic job at changing the overall culture of the team in a very short amount of time.  We have created a system of accountability, something that the army harps on constantly. We are starting to get the leadership internally.  As a team captain, I see a lot less managing going on versus knowing that everyone can account for their actions."

WAITING GAME

Between class, ROTC, cross country, part-time employment, and all his extracurricular activities (did we mention phi sigma kappa and the Stetson beekeeping club?), Newfrock spends what little precious free time he has relaxing with his blonde dachshund, Delilah.  

"I am trying to scale it back a little bit," Newfrock said. "It has been an intense level of activity."

Looking ahead, Newfrock has November 16 circled on his calendar.  That is the date when the army will announce how the slots have been filled for each of its branches, and whether Newfrock will begin his service in aviation.

"All my requirements are in, and I am just waiting for November 16 to see if I was awarded that opportunity, which hopefully I will be," Newfrock said.  "The culmination of the last three years and three months of my life.  Hopefully everything comes full-circle."
 
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Players Mentioned

Joe Beery

Joe Beery

Senior
Ryan Newfrock

Ryan Newfrock

Senior

Players Mentioned

Joe Beery

Joe Beery

Senior
Ryan Newfrock

Ryan Newfrock

Senior