Female team scholarships. Photo courtesy Live Oaks JROTC.
The JROTC team from Live Oaks Career Center competed in the inaugural JROTC Raider Challenge National Challenge at
Ft. Knox in Kentucky on November 3-4. Live Oaks brought three teams – a male team, a female team, and a co-ed team.
The all-male and all-female teams finished first overall and both teams were crowned National Champs in the All-Service
Division. The male team placed first in four of the five events, and the female team won all five of their events. Each of
the 28 cadets on the first-place teams also received a full four-year ROTC college scholarship.
The co-ed team from Live Oaks finished in fifth place overall in their division and placed in the top five in two of the five
events.
The Raider Challenge brought more than 200 teams to Ft. Knox for the weekend competition. Teams competed in five
events, including several obstacle courses, a 5K team run, and a one-rope bridge – where one team member crosses a
river and secures a rope around a tree. The remaining members pull themselves across the river while suspended above
the water.
All three teams are led by instructors Chief Heath Phillips and First Sergeant Donald Eynon. “This is life-changing for
some of these cadets, knowing they can go to college without worrying about how to pay for it,” said Eynon.
The JROTC team at Live Oaks practices four days a week after school and spends most Saturdays competing against
other schools or working independently to improve as a team.
“These kids have put in a lot of work to get here, and to see them rewarded with college scholarships is amazing; it
makes all the work they’ve put in worth it,” said Phillips.
The 28 students receiving scholarships are Michael Bailey, Brendan Baker, Sara Brown, Rebecca Bruck, Asia Camacho,
Ben Chandler, Joey Conley, Bryce Corn, Marin Davidson, Ava Davis, Allie Dozois, Emily Fissel, Liam Fitzpatrick, Jacob
Frantz, Macy Fugate, Robert Mascharka, Gabriella Moore, Cecilia Mursinna, Aaron Nolen, Izzie Nunez, Juliana Oakley,
Colin Preher, Dylan Robinson, Joy Sanders, Kaden Thomas, Gabrielle Wagner, Ryker Weiss, and Mitchell Werling.
The teams hoped to bring home another championship when they travel to Molena, GA, for the Raiders Nationals on
November 17-19.