The Marion High School JROTC Raider team continued their fall season with another impressive victory while competing at the Blackford County High School Raider Challenge. In this regional competition, the Giants faced eight other teams in this six-event competition. And the Giants were up to the task, racking up four first-place finishes. But that does not tell the full story of their performance.
MHS JROTC Raiders pose with their trophy after earning first place at the Blackford County High School Raider Challenge on Sept. 14, 2024.
“The effort given today by the cadets was impressive,” said retired Col. Gary Blagburn, the JROTC Senior Army Instructor and Raider Team coach. “We had two co-ed teams and one all-male team compete at this event. The co-ed teams have four female cadets in each event, and six males. We are continuing to prepare for the National Championships, held at Fort Knox, Ky., which will take place toward the end of October.”
The Giants won the cross-country run, one-rope bridge, the HMMWV push, and the tire flip. They placed second in the physical team test.
Cadet Hickson Love runs toward the finish of the physical team test event during the Blackford Raider Challenge on Sept. 14, 2024.
The Blackford County competition also had a mystery event, which was a team boat race, where the Giants had a strong showing. During the boat race, cadets paddle an inflatable boat from one end of a swimming pool to the other and back again. The boat race is something the Giants do not practice for, since the event is not a Raider standard.
“I like to see how much we are improving as a team and how much growth I see in individuals on the team,” said Cadet Maj. Kylar Pettus, who serves as the Team Commander, with oversight over three Giant Raider teams.
Cadet Maj. Kylar Pettus, Team Commander, accepts the first place trophy from Maj. Tim Cummins of Blackford High School on Sept. 14, 2024.
Giant Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Anthony O’Neil, agreed.
“I feel we are improving as a team and building as a unit,” O’Neil said.
He and Pettus are both seniors at Marion High School this year, and the team will look to fill these two holes next season.
“Dedication, commitment, teamwork, fitness, and perseverance are the hallmarks of being a Raider,” Blagburn said. “Every one of these varsity Raiders have been practicing five days a week since before school started in preparation to perform as they did at Blackford, but more importantly, to prepare for the National Championship title.”
Raider competitions are designed to be grueling, pushing teams to their physical limits over several hours of challenging events. At Blackford, team members ran more than five miles, climbed and negotiated several obstacles, all the while competing against the clock. Teamwork was imperative.
Other members of the winning Raider team included: Hickson Love, Danielle Purdy, Grace Carpenter, Nicholas Purdy, Nely Guevara-Henriquez, Angel Antonio-Maya, Evelynn Lopez-Gomez, Alexa Ortiz-Juarez, Justin Peters, and Andersson Guevara-Henriquez
The Raiders travel on the Sept. 28 to Concordia Lutheran High School for their next competition.