Ironwood JROTC takes 1st in Day of Challenges

HOUGHTON — For the second year in a row, Ironwood JROTC cadets left the Michigan Technological University campus overall winners of the Day of Challenges competition.

Sponsored by the Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars and Michigan Tech Army and Air Force programs, the competition took place Feb. 27 and consisted of a series of events focusing on teamwork, as well as mental and physical challenges.

Among the events was a timed obstacle course and several leadership tests, an Ironwood JROTC spokesperson said.

Six schools sent 23 teams to the event, with the Ironwood team consisting of Zach Combs, Johnny Clemens, Sam Anderman, Nathan Ruotsala, Andrew Wendinger and Rico Braucher taking first place overall.

The team also took first in the physical fitness competition that consisted of doing as many sit-ups and and push-ups as possible in a minute, as well as running one half mile.

The team placed third in two of the three leadership challenges.

Another Ironwood team took third place in the physical fitness challenge and second in the obstacle course.

Notable individual achievements included cadets Emily Carey and Anthony Ursini taking the competition’s “ironwoman” and “ironman” respectively, for having the highest overall scores in the fitness challenge.

A total of seven individual event trophies and the plaque for placing first overall were returned to Ironwood.

—Richard Jenkins