The Marion High School JROTC cadets traveled to Kentucky last weekend to compete in the 7th Brigade Championship, fielding their nationally ranked Air Rifle Team and their consistently winning color guard. The Brigade Championship featured the very best teams from Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Indiana. And the Giants represented themselves well.
The vaunted color guard, which has consistently placed in the top three at every competition this year, earned second place overall — the highest placement ever for a Marion squad competing in the drill disciplines at the Brigade Championship.
Marion High School’s varsity JROTC color guard competed recently at the 7th Brigade Championship in Kentucky.
The color guard was composed of seniors Jocelyn Lopez-Gomez and Jerrica Cheung along with sophomores Lilly Carter and Evelyn Lopez-Gomez.
“These ladies are absolutely amazing in their craft,” said retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jon Smith, the coach for the drill team. “They consistently perform well even under the most extreme pressure. It was a great finish for the team and especially our two seniors.”
The Giants’ precision air rifle team finished second overall. This was a tough placement for a team accustomed to winning the Brigade Championship over the last several years.
“The team shot well, but not great,” said retired Lt. Col. David Farlow, the rifle team’s coach. “It was a disappointing loss for them. But it was also a learning experience.”
Marion High School junior Emily Smith finished in second place overall. Her teammate Gwynneth Hamilton secured fifth place.
“It was fun to compete at this level,” Hamilton said of her first trip to the Brigade Championship.
Smith heads off to the JROTC All-Service Championship later this month. She is only the second Marion marksman to earn a berth to this most prestigious of all JROTC marksmanship competitions.
Emily Smith, team captain for the JROTC precision marksmanship team, accepts the second place trophy for her team’s performance recently at the 7th Brigade Championship. Smith also placed second as an individual marksman in the competition.
But the accolades for the Giants did not end with just the competitive events. Jocelyn Lopez-Gomez was also awarded an four-year Army ROTC scholarship to attend Indiana University in Bloomington. While at the competition, she interviewed with representatives of the 7th Brigade Leadership, which resulted in her instant selection for this prestigious award. She is the 12th Marion cadet to earn a national ROTC scholarship.
Marion High School senior Jocelyn Lopez-Gomez poses with leadership from the U.S. Army’s Cadet Command upon her being awarded a four-year Army ROTC scholarship valued at nearly $50,000. She plans to attend Indiana University at Bloomington. (Photo provided by Marion Community Schools)
Aside from Smith’s upcoming attendance to the All-Services Rifle Championship, two other marksmen have one final competition this year. Sophomore Anderrson Guevara and freshman Danielle Purdy will compete in the Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs next month.
The JROTC Dept. is accepting donations to help with the expenses associated with this trip. Donations can be mailed to Marion High School, 750 W. 26th St., Marion, IN 46953, or made here online.