On Saturday, February 2nd, the Ripon High School JROTC Drill team traveled to Lathrop to face 12 schools in Color Guard, Armed and Unarmed Regulation. The schools
included Rio Linda, Edison, East Union, and Ripon’s arch rival Fresno. The
competition lasted all day; from 9 AM, the formation, to the award ceremony at 3 PM.

Though Exhibition did not compete, Ripon’s JROTC showed that we are just as good in regulation as we are in Step Team and Rifle Exhibition. Armed Regulation Squad, lead by Wesly Mohler, took first place, not slowly to the beat, Unarmed Regulation Squad took first also, lead by Kattlin Batterton. The Armed Regulation platoon, lead by AJ Valdez, took third overall. There is no doubt that practice makes perfect and we are preparing for the upcoming challenge of the “Area 5 Drill Competition”, on March 2, which will have all divisions of drill. This drill competition put us to the challenge and showed us that we are up to the task of holding up the Ripon JROTC name.

By Andrea Poyorena