Junior ROTC cadets perform for Kiwanians

The Monett Kiwanis Club watched performances by the Junior ROTC cadets competition squads at the club's weekly meeting, held at the Southwest Area Career Center. The unarmed drill team, above, recently took second place at a competition in Nevada, behind the Fort Leavenworth, Kan., squad that goes to national competition annually. Drill team members, from left, are: Commander Dani Scaggs, a senior from Marionville; Virginia Higdon, a sophomore from Monett; Brenda Saucedo, a sophomore from Monett; Sierra Coy, a freshman from Monett; George Gottsleben, a junior from Marionville; Brandon Jackson, a junior from Cassville; and Jackson Dempsey, a senior from Marionville. (Times Photos by Murray Bishoff)
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Members of the Monett Kiwanis Club were treated to a rifle handling skills exhibition by Matthew Kelly, who is a cadet with the Junior ROTC program at the Southwest Area Career Center. Kelly will be competing this weekend in Webb City. (Times Photos by Murray Bishoff)
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Monett Kiwanis Club members were treated to a number of skills demonstrations by cadets in the Junior ROTC program at the Southwest Area Career Center during the club's Tuesday meeting. Nicholas James, at left, and Anthony Benavidez, at right, both sophomores from Monett High School, ran their competition routine as the dual exhibition squad, showing their skill at handling rifles. (Times Photos by Murray Bishoff)
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Between demonstrations by competitive squads of cadets in the Junior ROTC program at the Southwest Area Career Center, members of the Monett Kiwanis Club learned details about the students' performances. First Sergeant John Marbut, at left, asked members of the armed dual exhibition team to show their rifles to audience members. Marbut hopes to purchase rifles lighter than the 14-pound guns currently used by the students. He said the change could improve their performance. Monett sophomore Anthony Benavidez showed his rifle to Monett School Superintendent Dr. John Jungmann. (Times Photos by Murray Bishoff)
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The Junior ROTC's unarmed drill team performed elaborate routines for the Monett Kiwanians when the club met this week at the Southwest Area Career Center. The team goes through a regulation drill at the direction of its commander. Pictured in the left row, from rear, are: Wyatt Burton, junior from Monett; Travis Brown, senior from Marionville and Brandon Graham, senior from Aurora. Second row: Austin Smith, unseen, a junior from Cassville; Jacob Norris, a junior from Marionville and Mitchell Cooper, a senior from Cassville. Third row: Jacob Vought, a junior from Monett; Kayela Crocker, a senior from Wheaton; David White, a senior from Aurora; and Commander Kendal Cooper, a senior from Cassville. (Times Photos by Murray Bishoff)
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