CHS JROTC 2nd at Cadet Challenge

PALMER — The Colony High School Army JROTC Cadet Challenge Team placed second in the annual regional competition held Oct. 19 at Bartlett High School.

The team is comprised of Keiran McCafferty, Holly Gregory, Tessa McKittrick, Samantha Everett, Gatwech Both, Derek Kolb, Justin Lefebvre, Kamber Lucas, Kali McCafferty Jacob Black and Jordan Bethel.

The regional competition included the 10 best teams from the Anchorage and Mat-Su District, and first-place honors went to Dimond High School this year.

McKittrick, the Mat-Su team captain, employed an aggressive training strategy that significantly contributed to the team’s outstanding performance. This is the first time CHS JROTC placed in the top three in recent history. In addition to the team’s successful performance, Cadet McKittrick earned an individual second-place trophy for her stellar performance, scoring a 465 points of a possible 500 during the competition.

Cadet Challenge consists of five events (shuttle run, pull-ups, curl-ups, sit and reach, and 1-mile run) taken from the Presidential Physical Fitness Award program to test physical ability.

The events require endurance, speed, strength and flexibility.

The competition creates opportunities for JROTC cadets by allowing them to demonstrate leadership and physical abilities.

Cadet Challenge is one ingredient in the JROTC curriculum to involve students in something positive and meaningful and gives them an alternative to the usual mix of high school sports and integrated curricular activities to participate in. CHS JROTC is an Honor Unit with Distinction that builds character by creating an environment where young people respect themselves and others.

The character education development that takes place at CHS JROTC not only has a positive effect on cadets, but also has a powerful impact on the school and community.