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Saturday, March 31, 2001
Junior ROTC earns highest national score
Flour Bluff junior cadets will travel to Florida next week for Navy competition
By Sara Lee Fernandez
Caller-Times
Flour Bluff's Navy Junior ROTC, which has built a tradition of national recognition, gained another national honor this week when its academic team scored the highest weighted score in the history of the national academic competition.
"It takes a pretty special kind of kid," said Cmdr. Armando Solís, naval science instructor at Flour Bluff High School.
"They are awesome kids and what's really amazing about academics is there's no one cheering for them (while they are competing)."
Flour Bluff's four academic teams finished first, second, fifth and 20th in an academic competition that includes 491 schools and 994 teams. Last year the school's first team finished third and the second finished 10th.
In this year's individual standings, Flour Bluff took the top eight spots in the nation.
"I think the greatest thing I get out of it is the sense of responsibility and achievement," said Cadet Lt. Cmdr. William Torrance, 18, who ranked first in the individual competition. "I'm one of the few people in the country that can say I'm the best in the nation at something and I'm on the best team. That's a huge self-confidence boost."
Lee Holloway, associate naval science instructor for Flour Bluff, said that the national competition consists of a test that is sent to all participating Navy Junior ROTC units and the questions consist of what is taught in class.
Cadet Lt. Junior Grade Steven Heist, who ranked fifth on the test, said he joined the program because he, like William, plans to make a career in the military.
Steven, one of 350 high school juniors and seniors to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy, enjoys the competitions.
"I think they are a lot of fun and let us know that we are the best as a team and really brings us together as friends," he said.
Flour Bluff's Navy Junior ROTC leaves Wednesday to compete in its fifth consecutive Navy National Championship in Pensacola, Fla. The unit will also compete in the multi-service competition in Daytona Beach, Fla. April 28-29.
"We are really fortunate because they have been successful and we've been getting top quality kids," Solís said. "What makes these guys so good is that they work really hard."
Staff writer Sara Lee Fernandez can be reached at 886-3767 or by e-mail at fernandezs@caller.com
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a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.
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