Local MCJROTC rifle team invited to service championships
Kofa High School's MCJROTC rifle team to go to service championships for the fifth year in a row
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) announced the Kofa High School Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC) rifle team secured a spot in the JROTC Service Championships.
Kofa's MJROTC rifle team placed 16th out of 233 teams during the Marine Corps Postal that was conducted in November 2023.
This achievement helped the team secure a spot for the championships in Sandy, Utah next month.
Here are four cadets who placed during the Marine Corps Postal:
- Cadet Mildreth Hernandez placed 13th out of 1,071 shooters
- Jasmine Escalera placed 66th
- Delia Mendez placed 74th
- Thifanny Cardenas placed 204th
YUHSD said all four cadets will go to Utah from February 7-11 to compete in the Service Championships and will have the opportunity to the National Championships in Ohio in March.
Kofa JROTC instructor Maj Todd Birney mentioned the team will be in Utah for five days and will be given a day of practice on electronic systems before shooting for scores over the following two days.
According to YUHSD, only 25 MCJROTC Teams and 15 MCJROTC individuals from around the world are invited to the Service Championships.
“The Rifle Program continues to get better and stronger every year, and the younger cadets are producing at a faster rate,” Birney said.
YUHSD said the teams competed in a seven-week online league during the first half of the 2023-24 school year.
They accumulated a first and second at the National Rifle Association State competition, which earned an automatic invite to the Championship in January, and a second-place finish at the Arizona Governor’s Cup, said YUHSD.
YUHSD said in May, the 2022-23 team got first place at the State Rifle Meet and it was their second state title since 2020.
