On November 18th, Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) students from multiple high schools took part in the first Cadet Castle Challenge, organized and hosted by the Curtis Athletics Department and the New York National Guard. Over 60 youth leaders were present from the Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and the Navy Cadets to observe and encourage the teams fighting for victory. Only one high school could take home the shield. 

Cadets arrived from Tottenville, Wagner, and New Dorp and competed alongside Curtis students in two activities: a physical fitness challenge and a drone challenge. Each school’s student team consisted of five members for the physical portion. However, the drone challenge allowed for only two students, one male and female, to compete as a team. The physical fitness portion consisted of push-ups, a sprint drag carry, sit-ups, standing power throw, and a one mile run on the outdoor track. Recorded by the Army National Guards present, a team’s final score was the average of each team member’s best individual scores. Tottenville triumphed with best performing female cadets with an average of 351 points, whereas New Dorp’s came out on top with an average of 388 points for best performing male cadets. 

Tottenville also took home the first and only award for the drone challenge after an initial tie with New Dorp, which involved landing the drone and reloading its batteries in a time trial. Their victory earned them a Navy-approved Holy Stone HS260 drone.  Curtis cadets came second in both men and women’s division of the physical challenge. 

“I think for the first hosted challenge we had very little hiccups. We improvised, overcame, and adapted. It was overall very successful,” said Sergeant Brandon Jamanram, who oversaw the performance of the cadets. This event is the first in what the Curtis NJROTC administration hopes to be a long history of successful Cadet Castle Challenges.