Thousands of JROTC cadets joined together at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on October 24-27 in search of a National Championship title.
PHOTO: An Army JROTC cadet from Palmetto High School accepts her team’s first place trophy from Brig. Gen. Maurice Barnett, commanding general U.S. Army Cadet Command, and Command Sgt. Maj. Roy Young, command sergeant major of U.S. Army Cadet Command | U.S. Army photo by Sarah Windmueller.
We're proud to announce Palmetto High School Raider Stephanie Quintero-Hernandez (team captain), led Estefany Blas-Perez, Mia Vargas-Gonzalez Daphne Corona, Cindy Perez-Gonzalez, Mishmaella Olivier, Nina Velazquez, Escarlet Arenas, Emily Tovar-Romo, Faith Ramirez, Elise Jacobs, Debora Argueta, Allison Tripp, and Neida Perez-Ramos, to victory!
Raider Teams are the high school version of Army Rangers.
According to the U.S. Army Cadet Command, this event was not for the faint of heart.
The competition featured grueling obstacle courses, a 5K run and a cross-country rescue mission involving a one-rope bridge.
More than 200 schools from across the nation participated in the JROTC National Raider Challenge.
Palmetto's female Raider team won first place in the Challenge Division, which is comparable to junior varsity in other high school sports.
“My team has been training since summer started,” said Cadet Stephanie Quintero-Hernandez from Palmetto High School. “We knew that we were coming to nationals, and we wanted to win. We’ve been working extra, even during the hurricanes. Nothing stopped us.”
They weren't the only team making a name for themselves on the course.
Manatee High School's female and male Raider teams each earned second place in the Challenge Division.
A strong showing by Manatee County's young cadets.
The event also featured entertainment by the Army's rock band, "As You Were", and opportunities for cadets to speak with representatives from several universities regarding possibilities for their future.
For more information about this event, please visit https://www.usarmyjrotc.com/nationalraiderchallenge/.
Thanks to Philip M. Pugh, Jr. EdD, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) for sharing this Good News!