MSD Female Raider Team Competes at National Challenge in Kentucky

by David Volz October 28, 2026

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MSD Female Raider Team Competes at National Challenge in Kentucky 6

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School JROTC Female Raider Team {Mark Anders}

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School JROTC Female Raider Team continues to win honors.

The team earned sixth place overall in the Challenge Division at the National Raider Challenge on Oct. 23, 2026, at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The fourth annual national championship brought together more than 4,500 cadets from Army JROTC programs nationwide, along with select Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard JROTC teams, to compete in demanding physical and team-based events for the Raider National Champion title, according to Senior Army Instructor Mark Anders.

Team members included Addison Miller, co-captain; Myah Smith, co-captain; Reagan Anders; Rebecca Bridger; Karol Ferreira; Madisyn Freckleton; Sophia Greyling; Alexandra Londono; Sarha Osorio; Barbara Pacheco; Giselle Perez; Antonella Rodrigues; Samantha Tye; and Sophia Zengotita.

The competition tested physical fitness, teamwork, leadership under pressure, and tactical problem-solving across five timed events. From its 14-member team, MSD selected 10 cadets for each event. They included the rope bridge, where teams rapidly constructed a single-rope bridge and used it to cross a body of water. The cross-country rescue event required teams to carry a 100-pound stretcher along a one-mile, battlefield-style evacuation course featuring a mud pit, an 8-foot wall, and other obstacles.

The gauntlet featured a one-mile obstacle course requiring endurance and strategy, including 12- and 8-foot walls, an inverted wall, culverts, and window-frame obstacles. The event also included a 5K team run through wooded, hilly, uneven terrain. The physical strength test took place over a ¾-mile course, where cadets lifted sandbags, tires, and large stones; climbed over two 8-foot shipping containers; and pulled a 250-pound sled for 30 meters.

“The MSD Eagles completed these events over the course of the day and had to quickly transition from one event to the next to ensure they met directed start times,” said Anders, adding, “The team represented Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School exceptionally well, and I was proud of their accomplishments. They never gave up and gave their best effort in every event.”

The competition also provided valuable preparation for the Broward County District Championships at Everglades High School on Nov. 14. That meet will determine which teams will advance to the Florida State Championships in December, according to Anders.

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David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.