The Marion High School JROTC Raider Team fought hard at the Indiana State Raider Championship at the Indiana National Guard’s training facility at Camp Atterbury recently, securing bronze out of 21 top teams from across the state.

The MHS JROTC Raider team poses for a photo after the State Championship at Camp Atterbury. 

The championship meet is hosted by Indianapolis Public Schools. Every year, the Giants vie with several rivals for the top spot. This year, Hobart and Concordia Lutheran secured first and second, respectively, with the Giants close behind in third. 

Notable among the watchers at the competition this year was Col. Sherman Watson, Brigade Commander for the 7th Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command, Fort Knox, Ky. The MHS JROTC program falls under the 7th Brigade, and the Army Raider Nationals will be held at Fort Knox later this month.

The Giants battled throughout the competition held Oct. 4. The competition began with a 5K race, with teams starting in one-minute increments. The weather started out cool for the runners, but by the race’s end temperatures had become uncomfortably warm. 

The MHS JROTC Raiders compete in the physical team test at the State Championship at Camp Atterbury. 

The MHS Raider team captain, Cadet Nick Purdy, was pleased with his team’s performance. 

“We did our best but fell just a little short,” said Purdy, a senior at MHS. “The team now needs to focus on Raider Nationals coming up at the end of this month.”

During the competition’s events, 10 cadets — four female and six male — work as a team. Events at the State Championship included:

• One-rope bridge: Cadets work together to construct and traverse a bridge made from a single rope, stretched across a span of about 40 feet.
• Gauntlet: Cadets make a half-mile obstacle run while carrying 35-pound backpacks and two 50-pound ammunition crates.
• 5K run (3.1 miles)
• Physical team test (PTT): Cadets make an all-out sprint for less than half a mile that includes climbing, crawling, and carrying heavy items.
• Cross country rescue (CCR): Cadets make an 800-meter run simulating the evacuation of a wounded person on a litter (stretcher) weighing 140 pounds, while the team members carry 35-pound backpacks and traverse obstacles and scale walls of various heights along the route.

The MHS JROTC Raiders compete in the one-rope bridge event at the State Championship at Camp Atterbury.

“The event challenges the Cadets not just physically, but mentally as well. They need to assess each event and determine the best approach,” said retired Col. Gary Blagburn, coach of the Raider Team and Senior Army Instructor for MHS JROTC. “These cadets are excellent athletes who sacrifice and work hard to achieve excellence on the competition field. They did not finish first overall, but they did well. We just look to peak at our maximum potential level for Raider Nationals.”

Attending these Championships is a costly adventure, with transportation, lodging and meals. The JROTC Dept. is accepting donations to help these cadets continue to excel. Donations can be mailed to the School at 750 W. 26th St., Marion, IN 46953, or made online here.

“Our community has been very generous in the past,” Blagburn said. “We are truly grateful for any support and look to make our mark at the national level.”