(Featured image is Zion Benton NJROTC)
Zion Benton NJROTC (6 - 0) returns to the top spot in the Sporter league this week after defeating Pacific MCJROTC (3 - 2). They got help from Jack C. Hays MCJROTC (5 - 1) who upset previous number one Mariner AJROTC (4 - 1). Fifth place, Pascagoula NJROTC (5 - 0), will get a chance to crack the top three this week when they square off against Zion Benton NJROTC. Pascagoula NJROTC has slowly and methodically gotten better each week; a pattern used successfully last season in their championship run.
In the Precision league, American Legion Post 295 (5 - 0) holds off another challenger, edging out Everett Sportsman Junior Rifle Club (3 - 2) by just 2.5 points. Sutter Union High School (4 - 1) remains second after a bye week, and Granbury MCJROTC (4 -1) moves up to third after a win this week over Lafayette Gun Club (2 - 3). This week, second place Sutter Union High School gets to square off against third place Granbury MCJROTC.
With two weeks left in the regular season, teams are vying both for post-season bids and their divisional squadding next season (see below). The top 8 teams in both the Sporter and Precision Leagues’ Champions Division will earn spots in the postseason Championship Tournament. For the Sporter Champions Division only, the next 8 teams get invited to compete in the Invitational Tournament. In the Distinguished and Elite Divisions, the top two teams in each Conference will get invited to the postseason to compete in a one game conference title game.
In the Sporter Distinguished Division, in a competition featuring a west coast team versus an east coast team, sixth place Ramona NJROTC (4 - 1) from Ramona, CA, outshoots ninth place Warrenton Rifles (4 - 1) from Warrenton, VA. Led by Nathan Anliker with a 282.7, Ramona NJROTC cracks the 1100.0 mark for the first time this season. This week, Ramona NJROTC competes against the top team in their Distinguished Navy JROTC Conference, Eldorado NJROTC (5 - 1).
Featuring two teams from the southwest, Rio Salado Sportsman's Club (3 - 2) from Mesa, AZ defeated Eldorado MCJROTC (2 - 4) from Albuquerque, NM. Rio Salado Sportsman's Club was led by Michael DiSanto, with a 605.5. First place in their Distinguished Junior Rifle Club Division, Rio Salado Sportsman's Club will this week compete against the second-ranked team in their Division, Cumberland Beagle Club (4 - 1) from Cumberland, RI.
Jack C. Hays MCJROTC (5 - 1), other than being the number two team in the Sporter league, also gets a shoutout for best athlete nicknames. In their win against Mariner AJROTC this week they included their nicknames, which include “$Money$” (Sophia Padilla), “Squirrel” (Brynn Gray), “Brick” (Destiny Garcia), and “Rocker” (Amaris Oliva). Keep up the good scores and having fun at the same time.
With two weeks left in the regular season this year, here are the current cutoff scores (if the season was ending today) to earn a spot on the Champions and Distinguished Divisions next season (2024 season).
To earn a spot in the Champions Division, teams are reminded that they must also shoot a minimum qualifying score in at least one sanctioned competition.
