Airport High School E.L.I.T.E. JROTC Drill Team gets police escort returning from nationals
Cayce, SC (Paul Kirby) – The Airport High School E.L.I.T.E. JROTC Drill Team took second place honors overall in the recent National High School Drill Team Championship which was held May 3rd through the 6th in Daytona. This is their best finish ever, although for years, the group has returned from competitions with armfuls of trophies and other awards.
This year as always, the cadets competed against the very best of all the military branches of JROTC. They vied with drill teams from programs that included the Army, Navy,Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. Teams from across the country came, including units from Alaska and Hawaii.
When the results were in and all the scores were tabulated, the Eagle Battalion had won in the following categories:
1st Squad Exhibition w/Arms (National Champs)
2nd Platoon Inspection w/Arms
2nd Duet w/out Arms (Cadets Farris and Waters)
3rd Platoon Regulation w/Arms
4th Duet Mixed w/Arms (Cadets Jacques and Waters)
4th Commanders Trophy (Cadet Schwenker)
5th Duet Mixed w/ Arms (Cadets Anderson and Gadsden)
6th Platoon Exhibition w/Arms
6th Duet w/Arms (Cadets Muller and Anderson)
8th Color Guard
As was pointed out earlier, this is the Eagles’ best finish at the Armed Forces Championship ever! When they returned to the school on Monday night, they were picked up at I-26 and Airport Boulevard by four patrol cars from the Cayce Department of Public Safety who gave the cadets’ bus a police escort back into the school complete with blue lights and sirens. The officer blocked each intersection to allow the bus carrying the award-winning unit to proceed home as conquering heroes! They were met at the school by enthusiastic parents who welcomed their cadets home.
