On the eve of March 3rd, 2012, the reigning National Champions of the Bobcat Battalion instilled their preparations for the Oviedo State Championship the following day. Just two weeks after their previous field meet, the cadets were filled with anxiety and energy.
Upon arriving at Oviedo High School, the cadets put all of their effort into completing the various events, which included Personnel Inspection, Push-ups and Sit-ups, Color Guard, Exhibition and Basic drills, Academics, and the 100 and 220-yard relays.
All of the cadets had an enormous amount of pressure on their shoulders, however, when it came time to get the job done, every individual participated fully and without fail. Every cadet was as willing and wanting to achieve the title of State Champions as their leaders, cadet Commanding Officer Christopher Brown, and cadet Executive Officer Sofia Melgar.
As the sun died down, the cadets formed up, filled with anticipation to hear the receivers of the various awards. In Personnel Inspection and Academics, the battalion took a second place, with c/ Sean Osler and c/ Jennifer Menke placing first and fifth in the state for Academics. Additionally the battalion placed first for overall drill, with c/ Miguel Marcano leading them to a first place in the Color Guard event.
The tensions rose, and the cadets took extreme pleasure and rejoiced when the speaker announced their first place victory. Now, the battalion has the following four weeks to prepare for the long-awaited event of Navy Nationals, where they will go to defend their title as National Champions.