SAN DIEGO — The UCLA cadets went to sleep at 9 p.m. and woke up three hours before sunrise. By 2 p.m. they had sprinted, jogged, climbed and hauled equipment for more than 8 miles up and down steep brush- and dirt-covered terrain, most of it while carrying more than 45 pounds of military gear, including “rubber ducks,” or dummy rifles. Read more...

Photo: Katherine Knobloch, first-year biology student, reaches for her fellow cadet’s hand to help pull her across a one-rope bridge. Knobloch and eight other ROTC cadets competed in an annual Ranger Challenge Saturday, which tests their physical endurance and teamwork. (Brandon Choe/Daily Bruin senior staff)