The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School JROTC Female Raider Team placed sixth overall in the Challenge Division at the National Raider Challenge on Oct. 23 at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The fourth annual national championship drew more than 4,500 cadets from Army JROTC programs across the country, along with select Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard teams. Competitors ran through five timed events testing fitness, teamwork and tactical problem-solving.
MSD sent 10 cadets from its 14-member team to compete in each event. Tasks included building a single-rope bridge to cross water, carrying a 100-pound stretcher over a one-mile evacuation course with a mud pit and an 8-foot wall, and a physical strength test that required pulling a 250-pound sled.
Senior Army Instructor Mark Anders said the cadets moved quickly between events to meet start times. “They never gave up and gave their best effort in every event,” he said.
The team now turns to the Broward County District Championships at Everglades High School on Nov. 14. According to Anders, that meet will determine which teams advance to the Florida State Championships in December.
