UC Santa Barbara ROTC Cadet Team Wins Invite to Prestigious West Point Competition

UCSB's team is headed to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point to compete against teams from around the world for the second year in a row.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 8:03pm

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For the second year in a row, UC Santa Barbara's Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion is headed to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point to compete against teams from around the world. UCSB won the invite to Sandhurst by finishing second among 34 teams at the 8th Brigade Army ROTC Ranger Challenge regional competition, held in February at Fort Hunter Liggett.

Why it matters

The Sandhurst Military Skills Competition is a prestigious event that tests the physical stamina, marksmanship, navigation, communications, and first aid skills of ROTC teams from around the world. UCSB's repeat invitation to this competition highlights the strength and dedication of their ROTC program and its cadets.

The details

At Sandhurst, co-ed teams will be tested on a variety of military skills. The event has been held since 1967 at the United States Military Academy at West Point. UCSB's team, led by co-captain Madison Mohun, has been training intensively since fall quarter, with workouts six days a week starting at 6 a.m. Last year, UCSB's team competed at Sandhurst for the first time, gaining valuable experience that they hope will make them more competitive this year.

  • UCSB won the invite to Sandhurst by finishing second among 34 teams at the 8th Brigade Army ROTC Ranger Challenge regional competition, held in February at Fort Hunter Liggett.
  • This year's Sandhurst Military Skills Competition runs May 1–2.

The players

Madison Mohun

A third-year psychology and brain science major at UCSB and co-captain of the UCSB Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion team.

UCSB Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion

UC Santa Barbara's Army ROTC team that is headed to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point for the second year in a row.

Sandhurst Military Skills Competition

A prestigious event held at the United States Military Academy at West Point since 1967 that tests the military skills of ROTC teams from around the world.

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What they’re saying

“Our team has a lot of heart. We bonded over countless early morning workouts and skill training. I'm talking Monday through Saturday at 6 a.m., every single week since fall quarter.”

— Madison Mohun, Co-captain, UCSB Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion (The Current)

“This year, we're not walking in blind. We understand the pace, expectations and the overall layout of the event. With a Sandhurst competition already under our belt, we are better prepared, more confident and positioned to be far more competitive.”

— Madison Mohun, Co-captain, UCSB Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion (The Current)

What’s next

This year's Sandhurst Military Skills Competition runs May 1–2, where UCSB's Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion team will compete against teams from around the world.

The takeaway

UCSB's repeat invitation to the prestigious Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point highlights the strength and dedication of their ROTC program and its cadets, who have been training intensively for months to prepare for this challenging event.