Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can't fully prepare you for the unexpected. Our Drill, Orienteering, and Brain Brawl teams encountered numerous challenges on their path to nationals.
Our drill team cadets practice every morning throughout the school year, perfecting their routines, honing their athletic and academic skills, and building strong team bonds—all with the goal of reaching the Navy Nationals in Pensacola. The Nease Drill Team showed continuous improvement at every drill meet this year, earning the only nationals bid for Area 10. With travel arrangements, hotels, and buses all in place, no one could have anticipated the setback that followed. A significant budget cut to the Navy led to the cancellation of the in-person competition. In an effort to ensure the nation’s top NJROTC teams still had an opportunity to compete, the championship was moved to a virtual format.
Though it's impossible to replicate the experience of performing in person, surrounded by cheering friends and family who have witnessed months of hard work, our cadets adapted quickly and submitted their performances virtually.
On April 8, the results of Navy Nationals were broadcast online. Our team came together to watch the results and were thrilled to earn multiple top-10 finishes in various events, ultimately being named the #5 NJROTC Drill Team in the nation!
Here are the full team results:
Overall: 5th Place
Drill Overall: 3rd Place
Armed Exhibition: 4th Place
Unarmed Exhibition: 5th Place
Armed Basic: 6th Place
Color Guard: 6th Place
Academics: 9th Place
Unarmed Basic: 12th Place
16x100 Relay: 16th Place
Meanwhile, our Orienteering Team also faced several hurdles during their journey to nationals. A severe storm delayed the competition by a full day, affecting hotel arrangements and heightening the tension as the competition drew near. The storm’s rain and tornado activity made the course even more challenging for our runners. Thanks to our instructors and chaperones, the cadets remained safe despite the challenging weather conditions.
When competition day finally arrived, our cadets gave it their all on the course. These athletes train year-round to prepare for anything that might come their way on race day. Here are the team results and our top-10 individual finishes:
Varsity Green Course: 24th Place
Varsity Orange Course: 14th Place
Evan Gourd: 8th in the Nation
Our Brain Brawl Team wasn't as fortunate this season. After an excellent showing at regionals and qualifying for nationals, they were met with the disappointing news that the national competition had been canceled. While they didn’t get the chance to compete at the highest level, their accomplishments and effort throughout the season did not go unnoticed.
Across all teams, our cadets have exemplified discipline, adaptability, and perseverance—core values instilled by our instructors and embraced by each student. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and achievements. To our seniors, thank you for your leadership and dedication. We look forward to building on this momentum as we prepare for next season.
Congratulations to all teams on an impressive and inspiring year!
