Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
Stanhope Elmore High School’s (SEHS’s) Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) won this year’s state-level Raider Challenge, Sept. 27, 2025, hosted by Grissom High School’s JROTC in Huntsville, Alabama.
The competition is designed to fuel a competitive spirit, sharpen teamwork, and foster respect and confidence—demanding both mental toughness and disciplined leadership from every cadet.
“I wanted to compete because I want to be the best I can be,” said Taven Cox, Commander of the SEHS Raider Team. “I learned how to lift people over walls and how to motivate others to keep them going throughout the competition.”
The competition included a total of six events with a 10-person team:
- Team Run – a 3.1-mile (5K) marked course
- Raider Item Relay – carrying a designated number of 25 to 30-pound items from one location to another
- Raider Fitness Challenge – consisting of a sprint, high step hurdles, kettlebell carry, a rope carry, and a water Jug carry
- One Rope Bridge – The length of spans is 55 feet for female and mixed teams and 75 feet for male teams, with ropes at a minimum of 120 feet.
- Cross Country Rescue – Cadets negotiate the approximately 0.76-mile marked course with a litter and 4 (female), 4 (male) ruck sacks.
“The hardest part about the competition was having three new members whom we had to learn to work with as a team,” said Manny Peralta, member of the SEHS Raider Team.
The SEHS Raider Team competed in the mixed division, which required at least four female cadets on the course at all times, with up to four substitutes allowed.
Their team placed in the following categories:
- 3rd Place – Coss Country Rescue, Mixed
- 2nd Place – One Rope Bridge, Mixed
- 1st Place – Raider Fitness Challenge, Mixed
- 1st Place – Team Run, Mixed
- 1st Place – Raider Item Relay, Mixed
- 1st Place – Army Overall, Mixed
- 1st Place – All Service Overall
“My favorite part was not just winning but how everyone cheered each other on and kept each other motivated,” said Gabbi Brown, another member of the SEHS Raider Team.
With the state championship secured, the SEHS Raider Team now sets its sights on an even bigger challenge—the National Raider Championship, Oct. 23–26, at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
