The Pell City High School JROTC won first place overall at the Stanhope Elmore Mustangs Invitational Drill Meet last Saturday, Sept. 21.

Twelve Army and Air Force high school JROTC programs from across Alabama competed against each other. This drill competition was comprised of 14 different competing events including color guard, drill, solo and dual drill, academics and physical training.

Of the 14 competed events, Pell City JROTC teams achieved five first place awards, four second place awards and four third place awards. The following cadets are PCHS’s JROTC team commanders: Color Guard, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Carolyn Storey; Armed Regulation Drill Team, Cadet Command Sergeant Major Griffin Ledingham; Unarmed Regulation Drill Team, Major Brickelle Helms; Unarmed Exhibition Drill Team, Cadet Second Lieutenant Gabe Herren; Physical Fitness Team, Cadet Staff Sergeant Kaden Williams and lastly, Academics Team, Cadet Sergeant First Class Lillie Dickerson.

This year’s competition results ran extremely close with only two points separating first and second place winners for the overall champion award. Overall results were not known until the last competing event was recognized and scored. The last event recognized was the academics competition in which the PCHS JROTC earned first place, resulting in the overall Drill Meet win to Pell City.

This is the seventh year in a row that Pell City High School has won the Stanhope Elmore Mustang Invitational Drill Meet. Their next Drill Meet will be the Sparkman Drill Meet at Sparkman High School on October 19.