Central-Western ROTC cadets begin 69-mile football delivery today

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Central Michigan University’s ROTC cadets will begin their 69-mile trek to Ionia this afternoon with the game football for this weekend’s showdown.

This will be the second year the CMU and Western Michigan University programs participate in the “Rivalry Run,” a nationwide ROTC tradition between football rivals.

The group of runners, composed of 30 to 40 cadets, will begin at 3 p.m. in front of the Bovee University Center. They will head south onto Washington Street and continue for roughly seven-and-a-half hours down to Ionia State Park, where they will pass the ball off to WMU’s “Bronco Battalion.” At 4:30 p.m., there will be a brief presentation for the public showing of the rivalry trophy, which will be taken to Waldo Stadium for the game’s victors to claim.

After WMU’s cadets receive the ball, they will then trek to Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo.

“It opens communication between Western and Central Michigan ROTC cadets. It provides a physical challenge,” said Master Sgt. Joe Postler, a non-commissioned officer in charge at the CMU ROTC program.

The run has been divided into 12 legs of four to six miles each. Three to five cadets will carry the ball on each leg, then pass it to the next group and be bussed back to Mount Pleasant.

“It came to fruition between Lt. Col Aaron Kalloch and Lt. Col John Cyrulik,” Postler said.

Kalloch is in charge of the CMU ROTC program and Cyrulik is in charge of the WMU ROTC programs.

“I’m excited to do it against Western. It’s a pretty easy leg,” Mike McNichol, a sophomore and Cadet Cpl. from Madison Heights said.

Participation was on a solely volunteer basis, but many cadets were enthusiastic about supporting their program and encouraging a new tradition.