For six consecutive years, Nease High School’s NJROTC travelled to Georgia to compete in the Area-12 State Academic, Athletic and Drill Championship. And for the sixth year in a row, the 40-cadet varsity team returned home to Ponte Vedra Beach as the Area-12 champions, beating teams from 60 schools from Atlanta to Jacksonville.
Nease competed against the top 16 Naval high school JROTC drill teams in Area 12, which includes all of northeastern Florida and the entire state of Georgia. Sixty NJROTC programs competed at local drill meets during the fall and winter with the top 16 advancing to the state championships. Nease earned its berth by winning first place at each of its qualifying competitions at Mandarin, Terry Parker High School and Sprayberry High School in Georgia earlier in the school year.
“This group is the hardest working team we’ve ever put together,” said Captain Scott LaRochelle, senior naval science instructor. “The senior leadership is extraordinary.”
In addition to winning the overall championship, Nease claimed first place in Personnel Inspection; Overall Drill (sweeping all five drill events); Armed Exhibition, commanded by Ethan Wissel; Unarmed Exhibition, commanded by Genevieve Jacobi; Armed Basic, commanded by Forrest Vosburg; Unarmed Basic, commanded by Elkhan Bagirov and Color Guard commanded by Lindy Gostage; Overall Athletics, Team Situps, and the 16x100 Relay.
Cadet Emellee Neff earned an individual medal for the top female in sit-ups, with 317. Cadets Isabella Rivera, Kaitlyn Boggs, Reef Hamilton and Brogan Donnelly also earned medals for top five in female or male sit-ups. Cadets Yuan Tian, Abigail and Amber Vidler earned medals for top five in pushups. Cadet Ben Prohofsky placed top 10 in academics.
“Winning Area-12 was a milestone for us,” said Cadet Ethan Wissel. “Our goal is the Navy National Academic, Athletic and Drill Championships. “We don’t simply want to go this year; we intend to do damage.”
Nease will travel to the Navy National Academic, Athletic and Drill Championships in Pensacola on April 3.
Photos provided by Nease NJROTC
