East Union High’s Lancer Battalion team on Saturday successfully defended their championship title for the 7th time at Fresno State University's "Fresno Raider Challenge"  

 The cadets trained for two months for the athletic competition under the leadership of instructors John Tao and Oscar Moreno.

The competition consisted of strength and endurance tests including pushups, tire-drags and obstacles courses, first aid events and a “1 mile Ruck Run” with students carrying fully loaded rucksacks.

 “Every year, our cadets look forward to this competition to showcase their exceptional talent, hard work, and amazing teamwork,” Tao said.

“It’s a chance to compete against the best Raider teams in California.  After a two-year hiatus of the Fresno Raider Challenge due to COVID, we were happy to be back and accomplishing one of our many goals for this year by winning the title again.  The Fresno Raider Challenge has also helped us to prepare for the 2023 U.S. Army JROTC National Fitness Challenge championship which will take place on May 6th in Daytona, Florida.”  

The winning team included captain Tejinder Singh and cadets Hailey Gayler, Shawn Bradley, Seth Meacham, Gabrielle Meacham, Juan Toscano, Damanjot Singh, William Story, Jayceon King, and Zach Kitzberger.

The U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or JROTC, is a high school program centered on the mission of “Motivating Young People to be Better Citizens”

. It is one of the most tenured programs in Manteca Unified School District, with high school students learning to develop leadership qualities, teamwork, character education, personal responsibility, and service to our nation.