After earning first place for Area 5 (an area encompassing NJROTC schools in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.) Orienteering Championships, The LCHS NJROTC Orienteering team was invited to the NJROTC National Orienteering Championships at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge, Georgia, where they placed second overall in the country. The 15 cadets were split into three teams: Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Intermediate. The Varsity consisted of Luke Beaupre, Fred Cleary, Alan Crouse, Michael Du Plessis, and Rowan Mendenhall. The Junior Varsity team’s competitors were Octavian Ashford, Ryan Colavita, Jaden Gillespie, Tyler Jones, and Andrew Wilson. Finally the Intermediate team, a squad made up of freshmen only, included Tucker Boos, Logan deLadurantaye, Mary Homa, Fallon Murphy, and Connor Quinn.
The cadets practiced twice a week all year, developing the skills required for orienteering, including map reading, decision-making, endurance and stamina, land navigation, and using a compass. The team attended local orienteering events throughout the year to practice land navigation in a timed race.
Each team’s score went into the total score for LCHS. The Varsity team placed third, the Junior Varsity team placed fifth, and the Intermediate team placed second. Cadets could earn individual medals for their performances on their courses. Individual medalists include Luke Beaupre, Michael Du Plessis, and Rowan Mendenhall from the Varsity course and Tucker Boos, Logan deLadurantaye, Mary Homa, and Fallon Murphy from the Intermediate course.
Team captain Alan Crouse said that the meet went as expected. After winning at Area 5, the national team competed at Quantico Orienteering Club events almost every weekend. Crouse says this meant “running harder courses than we would be running at Nationals itself. In turn, we were more than prepared for the level of difficulty and course length that we would be faced with at the event.” While cadets run individually, their scores combine to form the team score, and Crouse agreed that “every one of us works to contribute, allowing us to place the way we did.”
In addition to competing, nationals allow cadets to make friendships and bond on the trip. This year the team stayed at a lake house near the competition. Traveling, eating out, and encouraging each other at the course were all big parts of the event, according to co-captain Rowan Mendenhall. “A great experience overall, the lake house was special. I feel like the team mentality was overall amazing, everyone supporting everyone else as they ran in was amazing to see, ” Mendenhall said.
Freshman Fallon Murphy ran first place overall for the women’s intermediate course. Murphy said that the course “was a lot more about speed, especially on the second day. It was pretty hilly and the erosion gullies were confusing, but other than that It was pretty easy to navigate the course.”
Senior Naval Science Instructor and retired U.S. Navy Captain Bill Johns was pleased with the team’s performance, “ especially with all the challenges the team faced throughout the year. I’m very happy with the performance of the freshman as well, having four out of the five medal (getting top 10). The future is bright for the team.”
