The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) earned awards at the Chicagoland Military Drill Meet at Arlington Heights, IL on Saturday, February 5, 2017. The Armed Platoon, commanded by Cadet First Sergeant Michael Livengood, placed second. The Unarmed Platoon, commanded by Cadet Captain Arturo Moreno, finished fifth. 19 schools competed in the event, with four of them perennial participants in the Navy National Drill Championship meet. Additionally, Cadet Lance Corporal Thomas Mizer became the first Michigan City cadet to win in the individual event, placing first out of 300 cadets. Cadet Corporal Quinten Hrivnak and Livengood finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in individual competition.
“This was a very competitive meet,” said Master Sergeant Jeff Benak. “We just missed placing in some of the other categories.” In addition to the two events that MCHS earned awards, they also competed in two color guards, the personnel inspection, first year squad, and armed and unarmed exhibition.
Major Tom McGrath, the Senior Marine Instructor, said that this meet had added importance to the team. “We are one of seven schools in our MCJROTC Region of 50 schools being considered to compete in the first-ever National MCJROTC Drill Meet. We will provide video of this meet to an evaluation board that will determine if we will represent our region. I think our cadets did well today and will be competitive for one of the two slots given to our region.” If MCHS is selected, the trip to Dallas, Texas, site of the meet, will be at no cost to the school or the cadets. It will be funded by the Marine Corps, with augmentation from the MCJROTC Booster Club.
The cadets next drill meet will be February 25, 2017, at Pike High School in Indianapolis. The cadets will also provide the Color Guards for the pep rally and last home boys’ basketball game on February 10.