2026 Cascade Mountain League JROTC Two-State Championship Rifle Match
Walla Walla High School’s JROTC Precision Rifle Team captured the JROTC Cascade Mountain League Two-State Championship on March 6-8 in a rifle match hosted at North Salem High School in Oregon.
74 of the top competitive JROTC high school marksmen from Washington and Oregon converged on the North Salem High School rifle range to compete in the championship match of the 2025/26 ROTC season.
In the sporter class, the league team championship went to Lebanon High School from Oregon, with Walla Walla cadet taking second place 2101 to 2077. The team was led by the Blue Devil’s top scoring sporter class shooter, Cadet Sergeant Noah Hein, with a 524, finishing in a virtual tie with teammate Cadet Lieutenant Wyatt Postlewait also at 524. Cadet Sergeant Major Troy Beckmann ended the match on a 518 with Cadet Captain Melissa Villegas rounding out the team with a 511. Cadet Captain Shaylee Jones, shooting as the team alternate, posted a 513.
“Our sporter team has really had a banner year.” Said Rifle Team Coach Mark Mebes on Saturday after the match, “We managed to get 4 cadets into the final. I don’t think we have ever done that before.”
At the end of the record fire on Saturday, March 7, Hein, Postlewait, Beckmann, and Jones’ scores put all 4 shooters in the top 8, placing them in the final shoot-off for the league championship.
In the Sporter Class Final, the eight highest-scoring marksmen face off in a 10-shot competition that decides final season ranking and placement. As the shooters squared off, a crowd of over 100 spectators and teammates gathered to cheer the marksmen on, shot for shot, until the winners emerged. Leading the pack was Cadet Jalynn Wilson from Lebanon, who had posted a 538 for the top score in the match earlier that day. In the final, she proved uncatchable, putting up the highest final score with a 91.9 and capturing the league championship title with a match total of 629.9. Behind her was teammate Taylor Sparks, shooting an 83.2 for the silver medal. Three shooters battled for the third-place position, with placement changing on nearly every shot between Lebanon’s Zachary Schlundt and WaHi’s Hein and Postlewait. When the final shot was fired, Postlewait emerged victorious behind a final score of 85.8, giving him a total of 609.8 to claim bronze.
“That was my first match final,” Said Postelwait after the match. “I was actually a lot calmer than I thought I would be. I’ve been practicing shooting under stress.”
The Blue Devil Precision squad posted a 2252 out of 2400 points to clinch the championship over close rival Redmond High School, who finished the day on a 2242. Cadet Major Claire Calvert’s score led the team with a 574 out of 600, putting her in first place for the precision final. WaHi’s battalion commander, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Sofie Edwards, held the second-place position with a 572, just ahead of Cadet Bradley Owens from Redmond, who posted a 570. Cadet First Sergeant Marcus Goin tallied a season high of 566, and Cadet Staff Sergeant Peytin Munns rounded out the team with a 540.
In the Precision Class Final, all four Blue Devil marksmen occupied positions for the 10-shot competition. After 10 rounds of extremely competitive play, Calvert fired the second-highest score in the final with an outstanding 100.3, capturing the league championship title over Owens, 674.3 to 688.8. Redmond’s Tate Johnson narrowly edged Edwards out of medal position, capturing bronze behind a total of 660.1.
The Blue Devil Rifle Teams will now return to training this week with a focus on several upcoming matches.
Calvert, the number 4-ranked Army JROTC shooter in the US, is training for her berth at the All Service JROTC National Championship match in Camp Perry, Ohio, at the end of March. On Friday, March 6, she also received notice that she qualified for the Junior Olympic National Championship in Anniston, Alabama, in April.
Both the sporter and precision class rifle teams now shift their focus to the CMP Western Regional Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah, this April, for which the Blue Devils have qualified 15 marksmen.
Walla Walla High School JROTC cadets delivered an outstanding performance at the recent JROTC League Championships held at North Salem High School, earning top finishes across multiple events and bringing home several team and individual honors. Cadets competed in a variety of challenging categories, including drill, physical training, and marksmanship. Their hard work and preparation paid off with numerous podium finishes.
Individual results included:
• Noah Wohr – 1st place, Unarmed Drill Down
• Jamie West – 3rd place, Armed Drill Down
• Damien Smiley – 2nd place, Senior Unarmed Drill Down
• Joseph Brown – 3rd place, Individual Armed Exhibition
• Wyatt Postlewait – 3rd place, Individual Sporter Air Rifle
• Claire Calvert – 1st place, Air Rifle Precision Individual League Champion
Several Walla Walla teams also earned strong finishes:
• Dual Unarmed Exhibition – 1st place, Aubry Graham and Ritchard Youngblood
• PT Team 1 – 3rd place
• Air Rifle Precision Team – 1st place
• Sporter Air Rifle Team #1 – 2nd place
Overall, the Walla Walla JROTC program finished in 2nd place in the league championships and was also honored with the LTC Terry Welch Sportsmanship Award, presented by unanimous vote in recognition of the cadets’ professionalism, teamwork, and respect throughout the competition.
Senior Army Instructor Anthony Marrero praised the team’s effort and character.
“Our cadets represented Walla Walla High School with pride, discipline, and teamwork throughout the competition,” Marrero said. “Their dedication to preparation and their commitment to supporting one another were evident in every event. I’m extremely proud of how they competed and the sportsmanship they demonstrated all weekend.”
The strong showing highlights the continued success of the Walla Walla High School JROTC program and the leadership, teamwork, and discipline its cadets demonstrate both in competition and in the classroom.
