Lakeside competes in Leadership Challenge
The Lakeside High Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps recently competed in the JROTC Leadership Challenge at Fort Gordon.
John Adam Wilcox (left) and Kimberly McCracken display the awards they won at the recent JROTC summer camp at Fort Gordon. Wilcox, a Lakeside senior, was named the top Advanced Cadet and McCracken, a Lakeside sophomore, won the top Basic Cadet honors.
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The camp took place from June 21-26, and featured more than 200 cadets and 12 schools.
The Lakeside contingency won awards for the top advanced cadet and the top basic cadet.
John Adam Wilcox was named the top "Advanced Cadet" at the competition, an award judged on presentation and military knowledge, among other criteria, that goes to the best in a company.
"It was a honor to win the award," Wilcox said. "All the cadets go to this camp to have fun, so winning an award is a bonus."
Wilcox, a four-year member of Lakeside's JROTC program, is captain of the Lakeside Panther Raider team. Wilcox describes the Raider team as the "best of the best" of Lakeside's cadets. The team competes in various competitions and won the "Search and Rescue" competition at last season's Chattanooga Raider competition.
Wilcox, who said he joined the JROTC because he didn't want to join the band, will enlist in the Navy after he graduates next May.
Kimberly McCraken, a rising sophomore, won the "Basic Cadet" award.
Some of the events held at the camp were rope bridge, repel tower and land navigation.
Harlem and Evans also attended the camp, but results of the Bulldogs' and Knights' performance were not available at press time.