On November 23, 2024 a crisp Saturday morning, Ripon High School’s JROTC headed to Lathrop High School for a Drill Competition. At 7:00am the Drill Team assembled for a day of discipline, precision, and fellowship. With the entire team ready to go, the group of Drill Team members, Athena Martino, Gurbaaj Kang, Sawyer Langdon, Alyssa Martino, Ella Parsons, Aron Debrito, Abigail Casas, and Lauren Ruby grabbed their gear and boarded the bus. Support members Emma Morse, Kamalpreet Kaur, and Pranav Kalidindi were also on hand to lend their assistance.

Once the schedules were finalized, Ripon’s Drill Team regrouped and began preparing for their events. Between competitions, team members practiced procedures, motivated one another, and got ready. “We made sure to pump each other up before each event, “ Gurbaaj Kang shared, emphasizing the team’s supportive spirit throughout the day.

Ripon High School competed in three categories, Unarmed Color Guard(JV), Armed Color Guard(Varsity), and Unarmed Platoon. While all the teams performed well, the Unarmed Platoon stood out, securing an impressive 2nd place finish and each person getting a medal. The Armed and Unarmed Color Guards also delivered strong performances, showing Ripon’s dedication to excellence.

Gurbaaj Kang the Battalion S-4 and Unarmed Team Commander was asked about how he thought his team did and he said, “I, as a Commander, feel very proud of my team and feel that the hours they had put in was well worth its time.”