On Saturday, September 25, the Smith-Cotton JROTC hosted its 16th annual Raider Meet at the Missouri State Fairgrounds and the Katy Trail.

A press release from Sedalia School District 200 says, in all, 32 teams came from all over the country to compete.

Smith-Cotton’s meet is considered by many JROTC programs to be the utmost test for their team’s potential for victory at Raider Nationals. The Smith-Cotton Raider Meet is purposely designed to mirror the challenges and standards the teams will face at Raider Nationals.

The Smith-Cotton Raider team received six top-three trophies in various events. All of the events are designed to challenge the cadets both physically and mentally, as well as challenge the leadership capabilities of each cadet.

The S-C JROTC instructors said that all of the cadets participating in the event put forth their maximum effort and represented their schools and their JROTC programs exceptionally well.

Photo: Row 1: Aaron Bilbruck, Addisyn Hunt, Morgan Arnold; Row 2: Sienna Blaisdell, Kola Grant, Tayisiya Roshchuk, Lizbeth Nadho-Rafael, Jonas Wilwohl, Brooklyn Hoecker, Lyvia Halvorsen, Carmen Ventura-Velasquez, Daniela Gonzalez, Shawn Bailey, Ellie Fiorino; Row 3: Josefina Reyes, Kaylynn Rickerson, Natali Newkirk, Thomas Gardner, Emely Valenzuela, Christian Terriquez-Navarro, Mason Maley, Pedro Gonzalez, Hayden May, Mikayla Wiley; and Row 4: Jameshia Bennett, Justin Samotugin, Keaton Belsha, Dylan Davis, Jeremy Weber, Parker Hemme, Zane Chandler, AdamMicheal Brooks. (Photo courtesy Sedalia School District 200)