The Marion High School JROTC Raider team has made history once again, winning the Indiana Raider State Championship for the third time in the four years the event has been held.
The Giants faced off at Camp Atterbury on Oct. 21 against 21 other teams representing JROTC programs from the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps in an event hosted by the ROTC Department at Indiana University-Indianapolis.
“What a great feeling it is to win a state championship during my senior year!” Cadet Damarie Weaver said.
The Giants even set a school record for one event, the one-rope bridge, finishing in 1 minute, 9 seconds.
- The competition events at the championship include:
- One-rope bridge: constructing a bridge out of a single rope to span about 60 feet, and then crossing it
- Gauntlet: 1-mile run that includes several obstacles
- 5K run
- Physical team test: an all-out sprint for a third of a mile that includes climbing, crawling, and carrying heavy items
- Cross-country rescue: an 800-meter run simulating the evacuation of a wounded person on a litter/stretcher weighing 140 pounds. Participants also carry 35-pound backpacks and have to crawl under obstacles and scale walls of various heights along the route
“To say that it is a physically grueling competition would be an understatement,” said retired Lt. Col. David Farlow, the Raider team coach and MHS JROTC Senior Army Instructor. “These cadets are excellent athletes who sacrifice and work hard to achieve excellence as a team on the competition field. And they stepped up to win a three-peat! Now that IS a Purple Reign.”
As the Giants cherish this victory, they will shift their focus to the next event, the All-Army Raider National Championship set for the first weekend in November at Fort Knox, Ky. There, the Giants will square off against the very best teams from across the country. Last year, the Giants were the Runner-Up National Champions. And this year, more than 200 teams are coming to fight for the title of best in the country.
“I am so excited that we won the state championship,” Cadet Alexa Ortiz, an MHS freshman. Looking toward the National Championship, Ortiz commented that she is nervous but excited to compete at that level.
The Raider team captain, senior Steven Fuller, who competed the past three years at Nationals, was a bit more expressive in his hopes.
“We want it,” Fuller said. “This team wants to win it all.”
And the Raiders could use your help to do so. Going to the National Championship is expensive, with lodging, food and transportation costs. Anyone interested in helping with the cost of this trip can mail donations to the JROTC Department at the high school, or make a donation online.
“We are truly grateful for the exceptional support the ROTC program has received from our community,” Farlow said. “Every dollar received has helped our cadets to achieve great things.”
CAPTIONS:
Top: The Marion High School JROTC Raiders gathered for a photo after winning the Raider State Championship for the third time in four years. The competition was held at Camp Atterbury on Oct. 21, 2023.
Middle: The Marion JROTC Raider team pulled in a blistering time of 1 minute 9 seconds in the one-rope bridge event, setting a school record, winning the event, and enabling the overall victory at the JROTC Raider State Championship on Oct. 21, 2023, at Camp Atterbury.
Bottom: Marion High School JROTC cadets Justin Peters, Kryuna Shumock, and Steven Fuller rapidly emerge from the low crawl during the physical team test event at the JROTC Raider State Championship. The Giants soundly won this event, paving the way to their third state championship.