The Smith-Cotton JROTC Raider Team earned the National Champion Runner-Ups Nov. 2, for the Raider Challenge Championship in Molena, Georgia.
This event is a nationwide competition that sets high expectations of Raider teams throughout the country. It is a test of strength, endurance and strategy.
JROTC sent one mixed team this year to compete Nov. 4 against 11 other schools in their division.
Smith-Cotton won first place in the 5K Run, second place in the Physical Team Test and in the Gauntlet, and third in the One-Rope Bridge event. This resulted in the Smith-Cotton team earning the title of National Champion Runner-Ups.
The Smith-Cotton Raiders were less than a second away from becoming the National Champions. Through it all, the cadets were very pleased with their performances.
Cadet Margarita Antonova, a senior on the Raider team and the deputy commanding officer of the JROTC battalion, thought the experience was exhausting yet exhilarating.
“It was great to see our cadets pull together in the intense atmosphere,” Antonova said. “I loved working with everyone and this competition was a great way to end the season.”
Cadet Kayla Archambault couldn’t have agreed more.
“Our Raider team is a family,” Archambault said. “The support we have is overwhelming and it has made us work that much harder as a team.”
