The McKinley Army JROTC "Bulldog Battalion" finished in overall second place at the inaugural Youngstown East High School Invitational Drill Meet held on Saturday, March 12th. Nineteen McKinley cadets competed against teams from Youngstown East, Akron Kenmore-Garfield, Elyria, and Perry High School Army JROTC programs. Events included First Year and Varsity Color Guard, First Year and Varsity Platoon Drill, Academic Challenge, and Raider Challenge.
The McKinley cadets had a strong start with a first-place win in the First Year Color Guard event. Led by sophomore Keolani Williams, the team performed a nearly flawless routine. The Bulldog Varsity Platoon Drill team finished in second place, and the Raider Team dominated the athletic events (push-ups, curl-ups, and obstacle course), soundly defeating rival Perry High School for a first-place finish.
The Academic Challenge competition was close throughout and ended in a three-way tie after six rounds of questions. The McKinley team then won the tie-breaker and the first place trophy by accurately naming the seven Army Values.
In all, the Bulldog team brought home five trophies and each participating cadet earned a ribbon for his/her uniform. The Bulldog Battalion Commander, senior Andrew Stronko-Downing, stated, "The drill meet was an amazing experience, especially for our cadets who competed for the first time ever. I'm very proud of the way we pulled together and overcame some problems during the competition. I think we performed much better than anyone expected."
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