PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Nease Navy JROTC finished sixth in the Navy National Drill Championships on April 10-11 in Pensacola against the top 25 teams in the United States.
Nease qualified for the Navy Nationals by winning its northern Florida drill competitions earlier this year. The 40-person team then won first place among the 59 schools in northern Florida and the state of Georgia in the Area 12 Drill Championships held in Douglas, Georgia, on March 7. That victory earned the team a berth in the Navy National Drill Championships in Pensacola.
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"The level of competition was incredibly high," said Jack Kahlbaugh, cadet battalion commander. "We knew we had to bring our A-game in every competition."
The 25 teams, chosen from 600 across the country, competed in a variety of athletic, academic and marching drill competitions. Nease JROTC finished third in Personnel Inspection -- the highest scored and most prestigious event at the championships.
In addition, Nease took home trophies in Color Guard performance (Color Guard commander Nolan Alexander pictured accepting fifth-place trophy) and the 16x100 relay race.
The Nease Navy JROTC program has been recognized and designated as a distinguished unit within Area 12 for the past 14 years. The 237 cadet corps draws from students throughout St. Johns County from Ponte Vedra Beach, World Golf Village, Jullington Creek and St. Augustine.