Oxford High Naval Junior ROTC Cadets and Volunteer Drill Team Coach Edward Fish enjoy a most satisfying day earning a combined total of 19 trophy finishes for the 5th and Final Meet and for Best School Of League Season Event and Divisional Championships. The 14 Pirate Cadets not only than held their own to protect what Oxford’s entire Drill Team and Color Guards had earned in four previous league meets, they were also voted as a recipient of a Southern New England Drill League Coach’s Sportsmanship Award.
Veteran and new team captains stepped up their leadership a few notches to lead
the smaller team through 8 events at the 5th and final meet of the
Southern New England Drill League Season. Oxford’s team commanders netted a
clean sweep of 8 trophy finishes for the eight events they entered. Kneeling
(from left) are Sophomore Joshua Hines, Senior Tina Weldon, and standing (from
left) Senior Ashley Snider, Freshman Jessica Rodier and Sophomore Elizabeth
Raymond. Missing from the photo were remaining team commanders Senior Nicole
Simoneau, Junior Lindsay LaRochelle, and Sophomore Ali Lorange. Oxford’s eld
teams competed league meet while another 14 Oxford cadets were simultaneously
competing in Montgomery, Alabama in the 2007 American Legion National JROTC
Drill Tournament.
Most Junior ROTC schools competing in special and league meets know how difficult a task it is to prepare teams for just a single day of competition. There may be as many as twelve separate team events available for schools to enter in as many as three divisions, before even considering individual events. When the list of emerging meets was published last fall, Oxford High School Naval Junior ROTC (NJROTC) cadets found themselves in a dilemma for the second straight year and once again, hard choices had to be made in order for the unit to cover two critical meets on the same day nearly 1500 miles apart. While fourteen of their peers were in Montgomery, Alabama participating in the 2007 American Legion National JROTC Drill Team Championships, another fourteen eligible Oxford Pirate Cadets were simultaneously competing in the 5th and final meet of the Southern New England Drill League (SNEDL) season. Thirteen member schools representing JROTC units sponsored by the Army, Air Force and Navy make up the league, and there is enough interest from other schools that the league may expand to add two to three more members. League rules specify that member schools must participate in all five league meets of the season to maintain eligibility for final end of year awards as Best Teams of League Season. At each meet, schools placing first through third are awarded 10, 5 and 3 points respectively, which accumulates point for participants throughout the season. The final league meet of the 2006-2007 season and concurrent League End of Season Awards Ceremony were once again hosted by the Air Force JROTC Unit at Central High School in Springfield. Throughout this school year, Oxford’s Drill Team and Color Guard competed in 8 of eleven team events offered at every competition, focusing the effort in two of the three major areas – the Armed and Unarmed Divisions. In three of four previous meets, Oxford had earned ’s trophy placement for all eight events they entered and enough overall standings points to be solid contenders for multiple end of year awards. Several of Oxford’s seasoned veterans, including National Championship and League Champion seniors, juniors and sophomores, assumed a positive leadership role to show the way to less seasoned underclassmen not selected for the 2007 Nationals Tournament trip. Coupled with some amazing inaugural efforts by several team captains, several of whom were sophomores and freshmen, the Springfield teams stepped up to the proverbial plate with a dedicated and spirited commitment to defend what the entire Pirate Drill Team earned throughout the season. Thus they found themselves preparing to compete in the standard eight events in the Armed and Unarmed Divisions in the final meet of the season.
Seniors Tina Weldon, Ashley Snider, both of whom were part of the 2005 National Championship Team, were joined by their peer Nicole Simoneau, who was part of the 2005 and 2006 National Championship Teams, junior and 2005 National Championship Team veteran Lindsay LaRochelle and sophomore Elizabeth Raymond, a veteran of the 2006 National Championship Team to lead a charge of intense training and adjustments for all eight teams that would compete in the final meet. This core group of seasoned cadets was assisted by superb inaugural performances by four new team commanders - three of whom were sophomores and one intrepid freshman Lady Pirate. The focused and dedicated efforts of this group in leading the younger, less experienced cadets delivered outstanding results at the 5th and final meet. Senior Tina Weldon commanded the Unarmed Color Guard to a first place finish and the Unarmed Regulation Team to a second place. Sophomore Liz Raymond led the Armed Inspection Team to a first place finish in her inaugural appearance as team commander while veteran junior Lindsay LaRochelle led her Unarmed Exhibition Team to a second place finish. While also commanding for the first time, Senior Nicole Simoneau led the Armed Regulation Team to a second place, Sophomore Joshua Hines commanded the Armed Color Guard to a second place finish, Sophomore Ali Lorange led the Armed Exhibition Team to a third place finish in one of the league’s toughest events and freshman Jessica Rodier led the Unarmed Inspection Team to a second place finish. Overall for the fifth meet, Oxford’s cadets earned a stunning eight for eight sweep earning trophies in every team event they entered. Cadet Ali Lorange also earned herself an Individual Medal as one of the ten finalists from a starting field of over 400 cadets in the Knockout Competition.
While the 5th Meet awards were being presented, elected officers and scorers used an automated computer software system designed for the league to determine the end of season awards. The efforts of the Springfield team paid big dividends to protect what the entire Oxford Pirate Drill Team and Color Guard had earned over four previous meets. In fact, standings going into the final meet were so close that several schools were only separated by one or two points – meaning the final standings earned at the Springfield meet would have a dramatic impact on the End of Season awards for many schools – and the achievements of the Pirates that afternoon proved the point.
During the lengthy End of Season Awards ceremony, with all thirteen schools present and nearly a capacity crowd in the gymnasium, the Oxford cadets and many attending parents, families, friends and alumni of the NJROTC Unit were treated to a day to remember for years to come. Oxford’s cadets enthusiastically beamed as they were called forward to receive Best School of League Season honors from among the thirteen schools in seven of the eight events they competed in during the regular season. Oxford received 1st place season honors for Armed Inspection, Armed Regulation, Armed Color Guard and Unarmed Color, with the Unarmed Color Guard honors being won that very afternoon with Tina Weldon’s Team earning a first place at the final meet. Additionally, Oxford’s Cadets earned Second Place Best School of League Season Honors for Unarmed Inspection and Unarmed Exhibition, and Third Place Best School of League Season in Unarmed Inspection.
Oxford’s cadets were also named recipient of a League Sportsmanship Award as voted upon by the coaches. But the proverbial capstone to the exciting afternoon came as Oxford’s NJROTC Drill and Color Guard Teams were announced Divisional Champions as Best School Overall of League Season in both the Armed and Unarmed Divisions – the fourth time they earned such accolades in the Southern New England Drill League since the divisional awards were established in 2002. This was an outstanding accomplishment to return home with 19 of 20 available trophies and the league championship for a young Pirate team performing on their own while their ‘varsity’ peers were trying to make history again 1500 miles and one time zone away in Montgomery Alabama (covered by separate article).
Using the miracle of cell phone technology, the two Oxford teams actually motivated each other and generated enthusiastic energy from each other’s performances as the day and competitions wore on. Cadets, supporting chaperone parents and former Drill Team Commanders who graduated and volunteered to take the “junior varsity” team to Central High were in near constant communication with other parents, siblings, coaches and friends performing in Alabama in a continuous exchange of information to keep anxious cadets and families at both sites informed of the two team’s progress throughout the day. When the results of the Springfield meet were passed on to Montgomery Alabama by the excited younger students, the Nationals team cheered for their peers as they were preparing to finish the final three of twelve performances. A few hours later the junior team and home folks went into a frenzy of celebration when they learned that Oxford had won six new 2007 National championship titles at the nation’s largest drill competition. That final series of calls also put the home cadets into action as they and many parents and families commenced preparations for yet another memorable welcome home celebration and reception for the new National Champs who were to return two days later on a very frigid Monday evening. This give and take effort and exchange of information exemplified an exceptional level of mutual support provided in what Pirate Cadets call the Oxford NJROTC Family.
Special notes of thanks go to Oxford High and NJROTC Alumni Edward Fish, who volunteered his time to come in over a the week prior to Springfield meet to serve as coach for the final meet, and Stephanie Fafard who served as assistant coach at the meet. Alumni Michael Arsenault and Andrew Schuler also joined the coaches at the final meet helping to coordinate the efforts of the teams. All these folks were four year veterans of the Oxford NJROTC Program Drill Team and Color Guard, and members of past National Championship Teams. Many more friends, relatives and parents, including four whose children were competing in Alabama at the Nationals, traveled with the team to Springfield to assist the coaches and witnessed a superb afternoon of excellent performances by all teams. Video tapings of the Springfield team’s performances were made and will be played over the next several weeks on Oxford’s Cable TV Access Channel 11.
Remaining Oxford cadets who rounded out the team and participated at the final drill meet of the season in Springfield included Wendy Morello, Amanda Martel, Steele Hudson, Alex Seferi, Christopher Buffum and Joshua Wibley. Congratulations to all members of the Pirate Drill Team and Color Guard for another truly outstanding league season and a record-setting performance while representing Oxford High School in the league. The teams have one more competition for the school year – the NJROTC Area FOUR New England Regional Field Meet Competition to be held March 17th at B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts against more than a dozen other Navy JROTC schools from the six state New England region. All schools will be competing in drill team and color guard events, as well academic tests, air rifle contests, uniform inspections, distance running, tug of war, and several other track events, including special events designed solely for first year cadets.