Orlando- This year is the first year in UCF Wrestling History that Army ROTC has had as great a presence on the mat as it does now.

Senior Daniel Polaski, sophomore Corey Wingo, and freshman Max Becks competed this past weekend in Loganville Georgia for the GNWA Gorilla Open with Polaski taking the silver medal at the 235lb weight class and Becks finishing in 4th place at 157lb.The week prior to this Polaski had the opportunity to travel to the Olympic Training Center in Salinas, Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, Polaski and six of his teammates won the Copa Sparta Cup freestyle wrestling competition; Polaski took 3rd at 120kg (HWT).

“Getting the chance to compete against competition from all over North and South America was great. I was able to develop confidence going into the pre-season and the members of our team that traveled got to bond with each other which is essential for any athletic team that hopes to be successful,” said Polaski. “I’m also very excited for the future of UCF Wrestling and AROTC because I believe that the two complement each other. There is no doubt in my mind that Becks and Wingo will be awesome leaders in both programs when it is their turn to fill the shoes of those before them.”

Students of the University of Central Florida can boast many of the experiences available to them on campus. From Late Knights, student organizations, professional concerts, to greek life, there are numerous activities available. But how many can speak of the military training that Cadets receive while simultaneously pursing a degree? The students, referred to as “Cadets”, in the “Army Reserve Officer Training” (ROTC) program receive weekly classroom and hands-on training in military science. Additionally they are required to attend Physical Training (PT) in the early morning three times during the week. These activities combined with the mentorship of Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers will prepare Cadets for a successful future as leaders of the Army.

Every week Cadets will receive one hour classroom instruction, similar to that of any other course available at UCF, that are gear toward many different aspects of military science. This includes Tactics, Leadership traits, Garrison Operations, and discussion of current events. To complement this instruction, Cadets are required to attend a two hour lab that allows them to practice the technical and tactical skills taught in class.

Despite what might be considered the hottest day of summer, Fighting Knights Battalion Cadets kicks off the fall semester.

Returning Cadets along with a large number of newly enrolled students have been welcomed from the summer break to start a brand new year of exceptional training and invigorating opportunities. On Thursday, August 26, the Fighting Knights Battalion had their first Lab of the semester. The UCF Army ROTC Labs are always on Thursdays and it's a time when all the Army Military Science (MS) classes come together for an array of teachings . Our curriculum is designed to train and develop future leaders. Military Science classes cover management, ethics, tactics, law, military history, and the Army society.Students get to apply the methods learned in classroom instruction during these labs and on semi-annual exercises at local training areas.