Outstanding Senior Spotlight: Austin Parrish

As an Exercise Science major and a leader in the ROTC program, Austin Parrish has found ways to combine science, service and leadership. His senior research project did just that - using evidence-based training methods to improve Army fitness performance while strengthening the cadets who would follow him.

"I was curious to see how I could improve my own training to do better on the Army Combat Fitness Test," Parrish said.

About the test

The Army Combat Fitness Test is designed to replicate the physical demands of the battlefield. It includes the three-repetition maximum hex bar dead lift, hand-release push-ups, sprint-drag-carry, a plank, and a two-mile run - with just 10minutes of rest between the plank and two-mile run.

Completed in roughly an hour to an hour and a half, the test measures both anaerobic and aerobic capacity.

"For me, after the third event - the hardest one - my performance always dropped off," Parrish explained. "That's where I really wanted to focus."

The sprint-drag-carry - a minute-and-a-half burst of intense muscular output - requires cadets to sprint, drag a weighted sled backward, perform lateral shuffles, carry two 40-pound kettlebells, and sprint again. Leg muscles burn, fatigue sets in quickly, and immediately after, cadets must hold a four-minute plank and complete a two-mile run.

"It's about combat readiness," Parrish said. "You might have to sprint, carry a battle buddy, or equipment."

About the study

Parrish conducted a formal study, completed an internship, gathered feedback and recommendations from military doctors, and designed a training program tailored to the demands of the AFT.

He then applied that program to help Pitt State ROTC cadets who were struggling the most.

Eight cadets who had failed the fitness test were divided into two groups. On Mondays and Fridays, they participated in additional morning training sessions outside of regular ROTC workouts held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week.

One group focused on aerobic training - longer sprints such as 800-meter, one-mile and two-mile repeats on Mondays, followed by stationary biking on Fridays. The second group focused on anaerobic training- short sprints using stadium stairs on Mondays and weight training on Fridays.

"Different workouts, same energy system targets," Parrish said.

The primary data points came from comparing AFT scores at the beginning of the semester and again at the end. The results were clear: the anaerobic-focused group showed greater improvements, outperforming those who trained primarily through long-distance running.

"Weight training and short sprints made a bigger difference than longer runs," Parrish said.

Parrish documented the findings and left the research framework with Assistant Professor David Boffey, allowing future students to continue collecting data and refining the program.

About the impact

More importantly, the results have already influenced ROTC training protocols. The program has incorporated more bodyweight exercises across all training days, increased push-up drills, and added a daily plank circuit - changes grounded directly in Parrish's research.

"We've done our best to make our training program as effective as possible," he said. "I'm really proud of it. I had a lot of help, and the guys especially in the anaerobic group really bought into it."

For Parrish, the project was about far more than numbers.

"It was very fulfilling to feel like I made a difference, and to help build stronger friendships in the process," he said. "That happens when you work out together."

About his past and his future

His passion for physical training has personal roots. In eighth grade, his family moved and he started all over again in a new school. A weight training class that year became an unexpected lifeline.

"It made a world of difference," he said. "It gave me camaraderie and helped me adjust."

He credits Coach Smith at Frontenac for creating an inclusive environment.

"He made sure everyone felt welcome - even kids who weren't his football players. That leadership really stuck with me," Parrish said. "I believe mental and emotional healing can happen through physical work."

That belief has shaped Parrish's future path. Inspired by his grandfather's military service and conversations about duty and sacrifice, he plans to serve those who serve others.

"I want to help those who are doing things to protect me and my country," Parrish said. "Physical therapy is the path I've chosen to do that."

Parrish has been approved for an educational delay through the Army, allowing him to pursue his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Southwest Baptist University before fulfilling his service contract. One day, he hopes to work specifically with amputees and prosthetics.

"That's my ultimate goal - to serve veterans who've made that level of sacrifice," he said.

He credits Pitt State's Exercise Science program with preparing him for what comes next.

"It gave me a really solid foundation," Parrish said. "Small classes, hands-on experience, clinical protocols - you don't just learn about energy systems in a textbook, you actually test them in the lab. You run machines by yourself. You have to rely on yourself to conduct the tests, and that's huge."

Learn more about Exercise Science at Pitt State here: https://www.pittstate.edu/hhpr/programs/exercise-science/index.html

Learn more about ROTC at Pitt State here: https://www.pittstate.edu/military/rotc-at-pitt-state.html