Etowah JROTC wins national and state Raider titles
Etowah’s male and female Air Force JROTC teams earn national honors; Etowah and Cherokee female teams advance after state competition.
Woodstock Community News | Woodstock, GA
The Cherokee County School District announced Nov. 12 that Etowah High School’s Air Force JROTC teams captured multiple Raider championships, including the national All‑Service and Air Force titles for the Etowah male team and a national Air Force crown for the school’s female team — plus a state title at the 6th Brigade Army Raider State Championships. The results matter to Woodstock families because they reflect sustained strength in local JROTC programs and qualify teams for spring national competition.
Etowah’s male team won both the national All‑Service title (competing against Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard units) and the national Air Force title — its third such national Air Force win in four years. Etowah’s female team, competing nationally for the first time, won the national Air Force title and was runner‑up for the national All‑Service award. The state championship took place at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville; Etowah’s female team won the 6th Brigade state title and both Etowah and Cherokee female teams qualified to advance to the Ft. Knox Nationals in spring.
Cherokee and Sequoyah High School teams also posted notable results. Cherokee’s male team finished sixth overall nationally and its female team finished seventh, with both Cherokee squads earning challenge and individual Top‑10 honors. Sequoyah’s male team improved its marks in four of five challenge events at the national meet.
Raiders competitions are multi‑event, military‑style athletic meets that include a 4K run, a half‑mile physical fitness test, a rope‑bridge carry and the gauntlet, a half‑mile obstacle course — events that reward fitness, teamwork and leadership. Etowah’s national male roster includes Jacob Abdula‑Amer, Jose Alvarado, Aaron Audia, Kane Barnard, Westin Coleman, Aiden Halstead, Oliver Hartz, Hayden Jennings, Kohen Kirkley, Mateo Munevar, Kekoa Neuhart, Calib Rogers, Josiah Thompson and John Vian; the female roster includes Katia Chavez, Callie Creamer, Emory Davis, Ashlyn Dean, Ava Gaines, Zoe Harston, Campbell Lonsway, Elisa Morales, JoAnna O’Laughlin, Maddie O’Neal, Lily Rountree, Leah Schmid, Samantha Valencia and Olivia Vanderpool. Their AFJROTC instructors are Lt. Col. (Ret.) Stephen Bergey and Technical Sgt. (Ret.) Ciarra Malto.
Cherokee’s listed female team members are Soraya Adeka, Doris Arenas, Joana Carreto, Francisca Diego, Kimberly Gaspar, Annie Gonzalas, Arianna Hall, Shay Henry, Lily Hood, Noel Huetig, Francisca Lopez and Ayva Matiak. Their instructors are Senior Master Sgt. (Ret.) Jeffrey Bise and Technical Sgt. (Ret.) Jody Van Ostrand. The district did not provide specific dates for the Ft. Knox Nationals beyond saying they occur in spring.
