Faith Miller – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – On Saturday, March 25, the LRHS Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) Orienteering team participated in the state-level competition at Holder Mine Campground in Inverness, FL.

Following the competition, the LRHS JROTC Orienteering team took home third place overall, with first place in Yellow, fourth place in Orange, and third place in Green.

Each racecourse at the Holder Mine Campground relied heavily on elevation knowledge and pace count in navigation, requiring runners to rely less on man-made objects and trails.

LRHS battalion commander senior Samantha Rees said, “I am very proud of everyone who competed over the weekend, especially our yellow team who came first overall in the state. It was one of the most challenging maps this season, but I am proud of every cadet in our team who took on the challenge. I am sad that this season is over, but personally, I cannot wait to continue my Orienteering career outside of high school.”

Rees has been the top female green-level runner in the state for three years in a row, winning nothing but first place for nearly 15 straight competitions.

LRHS JROTC army instructor Master Sergeant (MSG.) William Cassidy said, “This year has been an exciting year for the Orienteering team. We’re excited that the first-year cadets did very well during the season, which shows us that we will have continuing success when it comes to Orienteering in the future. The more experienced orange and green teams also did well in providing us with their depth of experience. At the end of the year, we were rewarded with a third place at the state-level.”

Stay updated on important LRHS news and share what you like by following our Twitter @MustangsAhead, Instagram @mustangs_ahead, TikTok @mustangsahead and follow the Mustangs Ahead Podcast  

With state and overall placements coming out on Monday, March 27, many of the JROTC cadets participating in Orienteering ended up in the top 25 individual slots in the state.

The monthly Mustang battalion newsletter can be found on the JROTC website. Mustangs interested in participating in the JROTC program can contact Major Shaun O’Dea or Cassidy.