By Carolyn Jo, Jordan Haradge, and Amber Vail

You’re running through the forest, the blurs of your surroundings and companions. The only thing guiding you is a map and compass, your knowledge must fill in for the rest. Finally, your team sees the last of the many markers and runs to it exhausted and relieved. You punch the last hole on the card as you realize you must be the first team there. The adrenaline that had been pumping for quite some time began slowing down and a sense of pride spreads through you. The hard work has been worth it in the end and nothing can pull you down from this high. You’ve won.

Nineteen cadets from Mandarin High’s NJROTC class competed in a competition with ten other schools from North Florida and one from Georgia. In this competition the contestants were divided into teams and each were given a compass and a map to guide them through the course. The competition was held at Ocala National Forest. Through this obstacle, they had to search for markers around the designated path that they had by using their tools and the training that was given to them by the teachings of Commander Akins and Master Chief Wadell.

One of the cadets who competed in the competition, Ashley Maroun, told us that she felt a sense of accomplishment and she was very proud of her and her teammates. When asked about the competition, Alex Lashbrook, an NJROTC cadet, responded, “It was both physically and mentally draining considering the sandy terrain and the dense foliage…” We asked Alyson Policastro if the task was easily accomplished. She replied, “It was easy. But pushing my teammates to run was the hardest part.” Alyson also thought that the skills she learned in this competition will help in the future with leadership and problem solving.

Caption: Winners Alex Lashbrook, Alyson Policastro, and Ashley Maroun received top honors with all superiors and advanced to States.