BOONE, N.C. — The team captained by senior running back Marcus Cox leap-frogged squads led by fellow seniors John Law and Parker Collins to take the lead in Appalachian State University football's Battle for the Belt standings after Week 2 of the intrasquad competition.

The Battle for the Belt pits eight teams against each other with points awarded for student-athletes' achievements in the offseason strength and conditioning program, performance in the classroom, service to the community and all-around character.

Appalachian State's coaching staff selected eight team captains, who each picked co-captains to help them lead their respective teams.  

On the strength of strong showings in squats and extra Saturday training, Cox's squad, which is co-captained by junior defensive back A.J. Howard, moved into the overall lead with 1,127 points. Thanks to a team-best performance in bench press and bonus points for great character, the team captained by senior defensive lineman Nate Norwood moved into second place with 1,067 overall points. Law's and Collins' teams fell into third and fourth place with 1,054 and 970 points, respectively. The squads captained by senior tight end Barrett Burns (921 points), senior defensive back Alex Gray (898 points), junior linebacker Devan Stringer (818 points) and junior quarterback Taylor Lamb (801 points) round out the Week 2 standings.

The full Battle for the Belt teams (captains in bold, co-captains in italics):

John Law	Nate Norwood	Marcus Cox	Devan Stringer
Kennan Gilchrist	Eric Boggs	A.J. Howard	Bentlee Critcher
Brad Absher	Jaylan Barbour	J.P. Caruso	Levi Annas
Clifton Duck	Levi Duffield	Akeem Davis	Nikia Cathey
Curtis Fitch	Anthony Flory	Teh'Ron Fuller	Edward Davis
Tae Hayes	Aidan Nesvisky	Mykel Golden	Isaac Edwards
Devin Papenheim	Darian Small	Colt Johnson	Caleb Fuller
Colin Reed	Zeb Speir	Elias McMurry	Dante Jones
Alex Taylor	Rashaad Townes	Ryan Miller	Madison Malone
	Mondo Williams	Antonious Sims	Josh Thomas
Parker Collins	Taylor Lamb	Barrett Burns	Alex Gray
Colby Gossett	Latrell Gibbs	Jaquil Capel	Beau Nunn
Brody Barrett	Mykelti Armstrong	Mock Adams	Josh Boyd
Tobias Edge-Campbell	Bill Cecil	Jake Easter	Noel Cook
Aris Duffey	Desmond Franklin	Austin Exford	Tyson Fernandez
Chandler Greer	Okon Godwin	Deltron Hopkins	Josh Filbey
Victor Johnson	Shaedon Meadors	Jalin Moore	Zy Letman
Brandon Pinckney	Michael Rubino	Dezmin Reed	Hunter Nunn
	Toronto Thomas	Myquon Stout	Justin Wilson
	Terrence Upshaw

Season tickets are on sale now for Appalachian State's six-game home slate in 2016. Purchasing season tickets is the only way to guarantee a seat for the most highly anticipated dates at The Rock, highlighted by the Mountaineers' Sept. 17 matchup versus five-time national champion Miami (Fla.). To purchase season tickets, click HERE, call (828) 262-2079 or visit the Appalachian State athletics ticket office, located at the Holmes Center.