Participating in the State Raiders competition at Hudson High School, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program entered an event that generally takes place three to four times each year. On Dec. 2, for the first time in school history, the JROTC team won first place in the state. 

The boys team placed first in their tier, first overall and ranked highly in separate events, such as the tire flip, kettlebell relay, cross-country rescue, the three-mile run and the rope bridge. The team took home two first-place trophies, two second-place trophies and one third-place trophy for the events they competed in. 

Major Martin Johnson, the JROTC director, attributes the team’s first-place finish to training regimens led by Battalion XO Captain Andrew Lane and Battalion S-4 Captain John Sheldon, which built upon the team’s strengths and stamina.

“When we came back in the fall, we had less time to make up [our training],” Johnson said. “But we were already in a position to utilize what they worked on over the summer.” 

Captain Lane highlights that they had numerous practice sessions beyond school hours. The team met up a few times during weekends alongside their regular weekly practices throughout the year.

Master Sergeant Daniel Weber, the Army Instructor, attributes the success to his colleague, Major Martin Johnson, the Senior Army Instructor. 

“Major Johnson took it upon himself to make sure they got enough practice in enough preparation to be successful in the competition,” Weber said. 

And while Major Johnson is sad about losing senior talent, he’s hopeful about the new class of cadets he has. 

“With those that are remaining behind and with some freshmen that [have] been introduced [to our] team, we have the opportunity to maintain where we are right now as far as our level of strength and stamina,” Johnson said.