American Legion Post 90 donates $500 to Mariner High JROTC shooting team headed to nationals
It all started on Feb 17, with the first Marksmanship Match of the “King of the Cape” competition between the five high schools in Cape Coral — Mariner, Ida Baker, Island Coast, Cape Coral and Oasis. For the last 8 years, Oasis has been the King of the Cape winners, but this year Mariner won all five matches held during the months of February, March and April. Post 90 has been an active supporter of all the Cape Coral high schools shooting programs.
The “King of the Cape” Trophy was presented to the Mariner High School team captain after the match on April 13; but Mariner did not stop there. The team went on to the South Florida District Competition and won 1st Place on the April 22 with Oasis taking second. The next day, on April 23, at the JROTC Florida State Marksmanship Competition at Island Coast High, Mariner came in 4th place in the team competition for the entire state of Florida.
In the individual competition, Mariner had the top overall best shooter. First place went to Nathan Krokstrom out of 92 shooters!
Mariner also had team members finish 10th, 21st and 56th statewide. As a result, Mariner is headed to the national championship in Ohio.
Dennis Stebbins, the American Legion Post 90 Marksman Chairman, and Carl Saitta, co-chairman, were immensely proud of the JROTC cadets and their accomplishments.
Stebbins stated, “Given the level of competition at the District and State, the Cape Coral high schools did extraordinarily well over this past several years, but this year is exceptional.
American Legion Post 90 presented awards to all five 5 Cape Coral high schools that participated in the JROTC Program and Saitta awarded a check for $500 to Mariner to help fund the trip to the nationals in Ohio.
American Legion Post 90 was founded in April 2001, and membership is open to all veterans. The Post offers a full canteen and lunch and dinner at its location on Southeast 47th Street in Cape Coral, and sponsors scholarships, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, blood drives, V.A. volunteer and national emergency funds programs to assist veterans in need.
The National American Legion has acted as the nation’s leading advocate for U.S. military veterans benefits and offers transition assistance from the military to civilian life, resources for careers, education opportunities, and childcare.
For additional information at the local level, please call 239 540-8128 or contact alpost90@yahoo.com or the Legion PR Officer Ted Clark at tedclark12@ gmail.com or 845-527-7948.
Mariner High School is located at 701 Chiquita Blvd., N., Cape Coral, FL 33993. For additional information about the school or its programs, call 239-772-3324, or online visit the school’s website at https://mrh.leeschools.net/