Michigan City High School MCJROTC Earns Awards at 2 Drill Competitions Simultaneously

MCJROTC-Collage-12-15-14The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) competed in two military drill meets on Saturday, December 13th. Their first year cadets travelled to Indianapolis for the Pike High School First Year Cadet competition, earning a first and second place in two of the five events at the meet. The remainder of the drill team competed in the Purdue University ROTC meet in West Lafayette, also earning a first and second place finish in two events.

Master Sergeant Jeff Benak, the Marine Instructor, who led the cadets at Purdue, stated that our cadets represented Michigan City well at this very competitive meet. “There were many good schools here with sharp cadets, but our cadets were competitive in all six events that we entered. With some fine tuning, I think we can be the over-all winner of future drill meets.” Cadet Captain Alex Wyman commanded the armed squad that earned first place. Cadet Captain Cody Joseph commanded the unarmed platoon that earned second place. Michigan City also competed in color guard, armed platoon, armed exhibition and personnel inspection.

Major Tom McGrath, the Senior Marine Instructor, who led the first year cadets, stated that the competition in Indianapolis was a great opportunity for the first year cadets. “This was the first time that Michigan City had competed in a first-year-only meet. It provided a chance for cadets to compete and command, which they would not ordinarily have at a regular meet. The three cadets who commanded-Cadet Privates First Class Kayla Krachinski, Austin Lee, and Ceria Burnett, all did exceptionally well for their first time leading a unit.“ Krachinski’s armed squad earned first place, and Lee’s color guard earned second place out of seven teams. Additionally Cadet Corporals Michael Livengood and Artero Moreno finished 10th and 5th in individual competition out of 100 cadets. Krachinski finished ninth in that competition.

The cadets next drill competition will be January 31st in Arlington Heights, IL- the Chicagoland Drill Meet. The JROTC will be busy supporting the district elementary schools with their holiday programs prior to the winter break. They will also be providing support for athletic events and conducting presentations at Barker and Kreuger Middle Schools prior to the Chicagoland Drill Meet.