By Viyaleta Chesnakova
Dominating one of the nation’s toughest high school competitions, the Newsome High School JROTC Mixed Raider Team captured its second straight national title in April, winning the Masters Division at the National Raider Competition (NRC) at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The accomplishment follows last year’s first-place finish in the Challenge Division, when Newsome was one of more than 300 teams competing. That competition included a 5K run over steep terrain, a cross-country rescue, a physical team test, a rope bridge and the ‘gauntlet’ obstacle course. All events were completed in a single day.
This year, Newsome moved up to the more advanced Masters Division, competing over three days against the top-performing teams from across the country. Teams in the Masters Division faced two additional events: the Battle Fit Challenge and the Ultimate Raider. The Battle Fit Challenge tested cadets through timed push-ups, sit-ups and a 1-mile run. The Ultimate Raider featured a 4.2-mile course, more than 100 pounds of equipment and four obstacles that required teamwork and critical thinking.
The 14 cadets also had to contend with cold, wet weather and steep terrain, far different from what they typically train on in Florida. Senior Hunter Wilk, who led the team during the 5K, said that the NRC was an unforgettable experience.
Describing the grueling terrain, he said, “We were crossing hills so steep that I was on all fours to get to the top.”
Despite the harsh conditions, the team still finished on top.
The team was led by Raider team captain Blake Jacobus, who oversaw tryouts, training schedules and practices before and after school throughout the year. Jacobus said the NRC “was a rewarding experience that pushed us all to work together under stress and persevere through many difficult obstacles.”
The team placed first in four of the seven events. Sophomore Grace Diny said the team succeeded because they “kept going no matter how much it hurt, because it is much better to not only meet a goal, but to surpass it.” With back-to-back national titles, the Newsome Raider Team has established itself as one of the top JROTC programs in the country.