Haidee V Eugenio

heugenio@guampdn.com

John F. Kennedy High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC drill team bagged a championship title and other top awards in the 2017 Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet.

On Friday morning, the team earned congratulatory remarks not only from Guam education officials but also their peers. In return, the team performed their winning drills for everyone on the JFK High School courtyard and those watching on social media.

“It’s an immense source of pride not just for me but for all us,” Education Superintendent Jon Fernandez said, as he congratulated John F. Kennedy High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC drill team cadets and their instructors, Col. David Cruz, Chief Master Sgt. John Martinez and Master Sgt. Joseph Mafnas.

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In the school conference room, the winning team talked about the eight trophies they won and brought back from California to Guam: Five first-place finishes, two second-place finishes, and overall champion trophies for the novice division.

Barbara Adamos, principal at JFK High School, said the school’s JROTC Unit has been recognized year after year since 2014 out of 880 U.S. Air Force JROTC programs worldwide. The Guam Memorial Hospital Volunteers Association was also on hand to congratulate the team, which has also been helping the hospital with volunteer needs.

Fernandez said JFK High’s JROTC drill team represented the island and the Guam Department of Education so well, not only at the drill competition, but also in the upcoming Academic Challenge Bowl in Washington, D.C. in June, along with the Stock Market Game.

“It basically demonstrates their capabilities, their intelligence, their work ethic, their team work and all the things that we want to see in our students, especially I’m very proud of our JROTC programs throughout the island,” Fernandez said.

Christian Baes, one of the winning drill team’s cadets, said he’s happy to have a team by his side who’s been supportive.

“And I’m here for them,” he said.

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Simon Sanchez High School also came home from the Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet with trophies, including first place for armed sweepstakes.

The Golden Bear West Coast National Drill Meet consisted of several competitions between four divisions; Unarmed, Armed, Color Guard, and Saber. The armed drill teams march, spin, and compete with demilitarized M1 Garand rifles weighing 14.5 pounds. The unarmed divisions solely make formations comprised of beats, stomps, claps, and uniformity.

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