Local JROTC cadet advances to All-Service National Championship
Marine Corps JROTC National Championship was conducted from Feb. 7-11 in Utah
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) said Kofa High School's Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) Rifle team placed 12th out of the top 18 teams during the Marine Corps JROTC National Championship.
Kofa High School's student, Cadet Mildreth Hernandez, was the top finisher and placed 21st among 83 shooters.
This helped secure Hernandez a spot in the All-Service National Rifle Championship in Camp Perry, Ohio that will be happening from March 20-24.
The competition includes the best 36 shooters from each Service JROTC to compete for the best JROTC Marksman award.
YUHSD mentioned Hernandez is the first Kofa Rifle Marksman to advance to the All-Service National Rifle Championship in school history. She is also only in her second year of shooting.
“This is a very proud moment for our Kofa MCJROTC Program and the Rifle Team,” KHS JROTC Instructor Maj Todd Birney said. “We strive every year to make the Nationals, but this team showed the most potential. We are very proud of our young team, two of the team members being first-year shooters, and we look forward to the next adventure.”
YUHSD said the rifle team includes Hernandez, Jasmine Escalera, Delia Mendez, and Thifanny Cardenas.
Both Mendez and Cardenas are in their first year with the team. Hernandez and Escalera were members of the 2022-23 team that took first place at the Arizona State Rifle Meet.
