The East Union High JROTC has all but owned the “Fresno Raider Challenge.”

On Feb. 11, members of the Lancer Battalion captured yet another title at the all-day event hosted by the Bulldog Battalion at California State University, Fresno.

Competition consisted of nine JROTC high schools.

“The East Union JROTC team successfully defended their title for the ninth time,” said Manteca Unified via social media.

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

“This is the most prestigious Raider competition in California,” said Tao. “Top teams from across California come here to compete for the title of state champion.

“East Union has won the competition every year since its inception in 2016 – we are looking forward to winning it again in 2026.”

The Raider Challenge events consisted of the Gauntlet / History test, Rescue Randy, Water Jug Carry, the Sprint, Carry, and a Ruck March around the stadium.

As for the winning East Union team, members consisted of team captain Brandon Garibay, assistant team captains Jacob Benavidez and David Tafolla, and cadets Anthony Zavala, John Bagayas, Davis Duff, Mark Fenton, Aidan Dakins, Ann Story, Antonio Rocha, Gracie Flores, and Gael Camacho.

MUSD praised the group, saying; “Outstanding job, EU JROTC – you embody our core belief that every student has a path, which could lead to further education, employment, and enlistment.”