Elkhart Air Force JROTC Raider Team notches 5th place at national championship

ELKHART — The Elkhart High School Air Force Junior ROTC Raider Team placed fifth overall at the April 2026JROTC National Raider Challenge, held at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

The event served as the third annual national championship, bringing together elite Raider teams from across the country to compete for the title of Raider National Champion. More than 3,000 cadets participated in this multiday competition designed to test physical fitness, teamwork, and leadership under pressure.

Teams competed across five scored events: Rope Bridge, RX Rescue, Gauntlet, 5K Run and Strength Test. Elkhart’s team competed in the Challenge Division against more than 40 of the top programs nationwide, representing all service branches. Their strong performance secured a fifth-place overall finish and further reinforced the program’s reputation as one of the top Raider programs in the nation.

“This Raider team was tenacious – they thrived through adversity to achieve at the highest levels,” said Maj. Jeffrey Dorman, AFJROTC instructor. “We are very proud of their accomplishment.”

Cadet Brooklynn Humphrey reflected on the experience, saying, “It has been a tough season, but Raiders teaches you to never quit, to never give up.”

The National Raider Challenge is an annual championship event featuring multiple divisions, including Challenge, Masters, All-Service and Ultimate Raider. Teams compete in division-based battles across several days of competition, with top performers recognized in each event and category.

Elkhart High School’s AFJROTC Raider program continues to be a statewide and national leader. The team has ranked as the No. 1 AFJROTC Raider program in Indiana for the past 10 years and has earned five appearances at the national championship over that span. The program has achieved a top finish of third place overall (2023) and has twice been recognized as the top Air Force team in the nation (2023 and 2024).

This year’s team members include Haniel Solorzano, Zandra Fountain, Brooklynn Humphrey, Hayden Dinehart, Logan Luttinen, Braylen Holloway, Janeth Calero, Niko Delapena, Isabella Spring, Avery Ingle, Sidney Rowley, Kayden Watson, Zion Bernal and Ezekiel Tett.