CAMP ZAMA, Japan – The marksmanship match hosted at Zama Middle High School here saw a ZMHS varsity member earn the second-highest overall individual score, among admirable performances by the varsity and junior varsity teams.
The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps competition, held Friday and Saturday, included cadets from seven Department of Defense Education Activity high schools across Japan.
Cadet Sgt. Hailey Momerak of ZMHS earned a combined individual score of 541.8 across two matches on Friday. Momerak and the varsity team placed fourth in the first match, and then moved up two spots in the second match.
JV team member Cadet Pvt. Russel Lopez of ZMHS finished in the top 10 with a combined individual score of 237.2. His team placed sixth overall in both of their matches on Saturday.
In the competition, the cadets competed by firing compressed-air-powered pellet rifles at paper targets in kneeling, prone and standing positions. ZMHS Cadet Command Sgt. Maj. Emerson Moore, captain of the varsity team, said the key things she tries to remember are to take her time and control her breathing.
“Another thing I’ve heard is to have a pre-meet ritual, whether that be stretching or listening to a song,” Moore said. “Just have something that’s consistent no matter what.”
Though the cadets combine their points for a final team score, each competitor is responsible for his or her own performance when at the firing line. The team members try to supplement the individual dynamic of the sport by showing support however they can, Moore said.
“It’s definitely an individual sport, but the more motivation you give your teammates, the better mood they’re in and the better they end up shooting,” she said.
Momerak agreed, saying her and her teammates give each other pointers after each match and even cheer each other on while they’re shooting — in a non-distracting way.
“We support each other on the sidelines,” she said. “You can’t really be loud, but definitely when they look back, you can give them a smile and tell them they’re doing great.”
JROTC cadets learn many skills and disciplines as part of their training, including marching, rifle drills, rank and chain-of-command structure, and uniform standards. These all help them become better and more well-rounded cadets, and that includes marksmanship, Moore said.
“It definitely teaches you a lot of patience and understanding on when you should act and when you just need to take a break and reset and focus on the job at hand instead of everything around you,” she said.
Cadet Pvt. Patrick Cairy, captain of the JV team, said marksmanship has helped to improve his focus not just in the sport, but in other areas of his life. He tried keeping that in mind between his matches.
“This was my first time competing,” Cairy said. “I was focused, but still very nervous.”
Retired Lt. Col. Douglas Fields, the ZMHS senior Army instructor, lauded the performance of both the varsity and JV teams during the competition, saying they demonstrated attention to detail, discipline and dedication — three keys to excelling in the sport, he said.
The competition marked the end of the season for the JV team, but Fields was particularly proud of the three-person group for holding their own against the other schools’ much larger squads.
The next stage for the varsity team is in February, when they and the rest of the schools in the DODEA Pacific region will head to Osan Air Base in Korea for the DODEA Pacific Region JROTC Marksmanship Teams competition.
“I see them continuing to have fun and being the competitors that they showed this past weekend,” Fields said.
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