The Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) Islander Company, made up of Coronado High School students, held its annual Neptune Olympics at the Crown Cove Aquatic Center along Silver Strand State Beach on Sept. 6.
The event brought together 11 schools with over 125 cadets from all over Southern California for a day of aquatic competition and teamwork.Â
This year’s events, planned by the students, featured three main categories: water races, tactical rescue simulations and beach-based challenges. Kayak races, surfboard races and paddle board races tested the cadets’ speed and control in the water. Teams also competed in a coordinated group swim and a creative sandcastle building contest.Â
“One of the standout events is the Zodiac hostage rescue,” said cadet Paige Koczan. “In this timed challenge, a seven-person team is split into six rescuers and one hostage. The rescuers paddle a Zodiac boat around a buoy to reach the hostage positioned on another area of the beach. Three team members are sent ashore to retrieve the hostage, with one designated as a ‘casualty’ who must be carried back to the boat.”
Ramona High School took first place overall at the end of the day.
