JROTC brings home honors

Ashley Hunter, ECB Publishing, Inc.

On Saturday, March 3, The Jefferson Somerset Academy Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) went to the Drill Regional Championships... and before the day was done, had garnered medals and trophies for placing first place in four different exhibitions.
“Most of these kids, they do something else [as well],” said JROTC 1st Sgt. Walker. “They do track, they do softball, baseball, basketball, flag football. They are all doing something else. All those schools we competed against, thats all they do- drill.”
For the Platoon Armed Exhibition, with Christian Steen as commander, Jamiya Steen, Yu'Nijha Cooper, Allen Washington, Jamichael Steen, Matthew Steen, Anthony Seaton, Demarious Alexander, Mark Vinson, Johnathan Steen, Jayshawn Francis, Phillip Harris, Tavoris Tice and Elijah Bellamy competed. Jefferson County won first place in the Platoon Armed Exhibition.
For the Male Squad Armed Exhibition, with Tavoris Tice as commander, Demarious Alexander, Allen Washington, Elijah Bellamy, Anthony Seaton, Jamichael Steen and Matthew Steen competed and won first place.
For Male Mixed Armed Squad Regulation, with Christian Steen as commander, Demarious Alexander, Allen Washington, Elijah Bellamy, Anthony Seaton, Jamichael Steen and Matthew Steen competed and took home third place.
Mark Vinson and Christian Steen won first place in the Dual Exhibition and Tavoris Tice won first place in the Individual Exhibition.
“It's not not an easy thing to do. It shows the credit of these kids...when you put pressure on them in the right way, they respond,” said Sgt. Walker.
On April 6-8, the Jefferson County JROTC will be headed to the State Championships to compete against a wider pool of schools and JROTC groups.
“We've been proud to be able to take these kids back to state six years in a row,” said Sgt. Walker. This will be the first year under the new school system as Jefferson Somerset Academy that the JROTC will be competing. “This is history [in the making] here,” adds Sgt. Walker. “We've had the support of the school, of the teachers, and of the parents and the leadership of our staff. I appreciate [the] support.”