The Oregon Wing’s Aurora Composite Squadron cadet team captured the Civil Air Patrol championship Saturday in the College Options Foundation’s Junior ROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl.
The four Aurora Composite cadets won five of the seven qualifying rounds and scored the most points overall, guaranteeing advancement to the finals at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. The team then defeated the Michigan Wing’s Rochester-Oakland Cadet Squadron team in the final round by 250-170.
A pair of teams from the Wisconsin Wing, representing the Eau Claire and Waukesha composite squadrons, also reached the national finals.
According to the competition’s organizers, participants learn the values of citizenship, academic competition and college opportunity through their involvement. The competition creates opportunities for CAP and Junior ROTC cadets by allowing them to demonstrate leadership and academic abilities.
The trip to the finals also allows the teams to explore the nation’s capital, meet their congressional representatives, visit historic monuments and memorials and compete for a spot in Jeopardy’s Teen Tournament of Champions. In addition, benefits of participating include improved SAT/ACT scores, increased interest in college admissions, improved leadership skills and hands-on and interactive learning.
The CAP teams consisted of:
Oregon WingAurora Composite Squadron
Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Alex Bates and Marissa Van Sickle,
Cadet Master Sgt. Rhett Miller and
Cadet Tech. Sgt. Ischen Heyns
Michigan WingRochester-Oakland Cadet Squadron
Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Lamont Williams and Byron Wolf,
Cadet Staff Sgt. Hun Jin Choi and
Cadet Airman John Hoang
Wisconsin WingEau Claire Composite Squadron
Cadet Maj. Annika Walukas,
Cadet Master Sgt. Jacob Fisher and
Cadet Staff Sgts. Jeremiah Becker and Jonathan Solberg
Waukesha Composite Squadron
Cadet Chief Master Sgts. Lindsay Loohauis and Chris Schuman,
Cadet Master Sgt. Colin Loohauis and
Cadet Staff Sgt. Alexander Maxwell
