| JROTC places second overall at competition (5/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Jenny Ng | |
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Precision and perfection were the keys to victory in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps annual 91st competition held on Saturday May 17 in the Presidio. The drill platoon, girls’ drill team and boys’ drill team competed against Lincoln, Galileo, Mission, Washington and Balboa, placing second overall behind Lincoln.
Under the command of senior second lieutenant Lauren Chu, the 23-member drill platoon performed a nearly perfect six-minute drill, which they had been practicing since early February. The team was judged on marching, sharpness and togetherness. They never missed a beat or step, always staying on rhythm. Unfortunately, a few slightly messy turns meant the platoon took second place behind Balboa’s first. With no seniors on the boys’ drill team, junior commander Warren Kong took charge. With only two years of competition experience as opposed to the usual three years for a commander, Kong faced a hard start in the beginning. “We had a lot of setbacks this year,” Kong said. “Two people dropped from the team and (the executive officer and I) have less experience than all the former commanders.” However, this lack of experience proved to be no problem for the boys’ drill team. The team showed off their command of the competition through unique formations and precise moves in handling the guidon, or flagged stick. The only flaw to their drill was one guidon drop, which meant a major deduction from the final score that might have cost them first place. The competition was tough: Every team brought their A-game with new moves. Two Washington cadets lifted their commander into the air using two guidons set on their shoulders, and Balboa’s drill team performed a portion of their drill without guidons, which made them stand out. Yet Lincoln’s striking roll-off motions and perfect drill proved best. The Cardinals took third place behind Lincoln and Balboa. “The results are questionable,” Kong said. “The judges had a different perspective of what a perfect drill is.” The last portion of the 91st competition was the girls’ exhibition drill team competition. After recently winning the Miss Drill/Dance USA competition on April 27 in Valencia for the second year in a row, the team was ready to take back the bell and the title from the Galileo Lions who beat them last year. “We were more confident,” senior commander Jenna Mariano said. “Practices intensified and the new team members were motivated.” Using old-school melodies from songs like “In A Dream” by Rockell and “Where Are You Tonight” by Coro, the girls stood out above the rest with their strong voices, melodies, formations and beats. |
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