Pace High took on the top Navy JROTC programs in the nation. See how they did
Pace High School’s Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets have placed third in the country for this year’s Navy Nationals Athletic, Academic and Drill championship.
Each year, the top 25 Navy JROTC programs across the nation compete in the championship at Naval Air Station Pensacola. To qualify, each school must win a regional competition first. Pace’s team has accomplished this for the past nine consecutive years, according to a statement from 1st Sgt. John Baker, naval science instructor.
“We put in eight months of hard work to show off for eight minutes,” said Drill Team Commander James Carlton. “I’m extremely proud of the heart they put in this year!”
At the national championship level, the Pace program has a proven pattern of victory and secured first place each year from 2021-23. The competition consists of five drill events, three athletic events, a uniform inspection and an academic test.
“Competing at this level every year says so much about the culture of our group,” Baker said. “They work as a team and put the team first. I am so proud of our cadets and the work they put (in).”
Pace had strong showings in the five drill events and received top five trophies in each event, Baker's statement continued.
Pace’s results at the 2024 competition are as follows:
3rd overall (out of 650+ Navy JROTC programs nationwide)
1st in Unarmed Exhibition Drill
2nd in Drill
2nd in Inspection
4th in Armed Exhibition Drill
5th in Unarmed Regulation
5th in Armed Regulation
5th in Color Guard
6th in Academics (100 question test on naval history, skills and science)
10th in Athletics (push-ups, sit-ups and 100-meter relay)
Cadet Commanding Officer Alexis Parker said that the teamwork was visible from the very start of this year’s training.
“From the moment we started on day one to the very end, we fought as a team through it all,” Parker said. “I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pace High NJROTC placed third in national championship at NAS Pensacola
