Cadets from Lower Dauphin High School's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) competed in the Raider Challenge on April 20 at Shippensburg University, finishing seventh overall.

The event is a physically and mentally demanding competition bringing together JROTC programs from across southcentral Pennsylvania. It comprises the Army physical fitness test - consisting of push-ups, sit-ups, and a 2-mile run - along with a land navigation course, the one-rope bridge construction and traverse, a first aid and litter carry event, and a 3-kilometer team run.

The Lower Dauphin JROTC squad placed third in the 2-mile run, fourth in the first aid and stretcher carry event and the land navigation event, and fifth in the rope bridge event.

"We really did perform well in some categories," said retired Col. Chad Goyette, the senior instructor in the Lower Dauphin JROTC program. "The cadets will see this and use it as fuel for next year. We now have a start position from which to work and a clear goal for the future."

The seniors who participated in the event were Cadet Lt. Col. Alek McGlaughlin, Cadet Maj. Ryder Stahl, and Cadet Sgt. 1st Class Lusvin Lopez-Murcia. Juniors taking part were Cadet 2nd Lt. Aaron Espenshade, Cadet Sgt. 1st Class Liam Samples, and Cadet Pfc. Kolton Lyons. Sophomores Avery Troain, cadet captain, and Caleb Espenshade, cadet sergeant, also represented Lower Dauphin, as well as freshmen Seth Whitmoyer, Ayden Verbos, and Blake Plecker-Werner, who all have the rank cadet private first class, and Tyler Morris, cadet private.