Published On: Thu, Apr 14th, 2011

Boca High NJROTC Wins Nationals

The Boca Raton Community High School NJROTC Bobcat Battalion took first place at the National Academic, Athletic, and Drill championships in Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida on the 8th and 9th of April, 2011.  We competed in Personnel Inspection, Color Guard, Pushups, Sit-ups, 100 Yard Relay, 220 Yard Relay, Unarmed Basic and Exhibition Drills, Armed Basic and Exhibition Drills, and Academics.

Going into the competition, the tension was palpable.  “I was very nervous going into the Personnel Inspection, but was completely confident in the level of readiness in which we had achieved,” recalls c/CDR Austin Haynie, Commanding Officer of the Bobcat Battalion.  The nervousness was also felt throughout the entire unit as we had great challenges to overcome including the other 25 schools who were there for the same reason we were.  “We were going into it as State Champions, so we were confident that we would do well,” says c/MCPO Jordan Hamilton, the Command Master Chief for the Bobcat Battalion.  We were going up against teams that were the best in their areas so the competition was fierce.

First time competitors had extra pressure on them as they didn’t know what to expect and were expected to pull their weight, which they did fantastically.  “Competing at nationals was amazing and yielded a really great feeling of accomplishment,” says c/PO3 Christina Coder, a freshman and competitor on the Unarmed Drill Team; “I knew we did very well and knowing that you helped to win nationals is always a great feeling.”  c/PO3 Jay-Marie Colon-Perez, a competitor on the Academic Team and another freshman said that, “Competing at Nationals was completely different…but it was worth the hard work.”

The team took a first place in Personnel Inspection, a third place in Academics, a second place in Overall Drill, a seventh place in Pushups, and an eighth place in Situps.  The points that we had collected from these awards had given us a first place in the nation.  “Its not possible to express in words the feeling of winning nationals,” says c/LTJG Robert Kruger, a Junior and competitor on the Armed Drill Team and Academic Team; “It’s really something special.”

Lieutenant Commander Bingham has been the Senior Naval Science Instructor for 17 years starting the program in the fall of 1994 he has been trying for the National Title for 15 years and says:

“All our dreams can come true…if we have the courage to pursue them”.   –Walt Disney

 

After a lifetime worth of second places, the stars and the planets finally all aligned,

and the Boca Raton High School NJROTC Bobcat Battalion became the CHAMPIONS at the “2011 NJROTC National Academic, Athletic and Drill Championship”.

They won First Place over all the 633 units in the country.

The thirty seven Cadets that competed represented over 2000 past and present

Bobcat Cadets that have laid the groundwork for this excellent achievement.

After days, weeks and months of hours and hours of concentrated hard work,

Battalion Cadet Commander Austin Haynie and Cadet Executive Officer

Krystal Echeverry led the Cadets to the most exciting victory ever!!!

 

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