Kofa cadet wins national rifle title, first in program history
Mildreth Hernandez won first at the NRA Rifle Championship, giving Kofa MCJROTC its first national gold medal. The team finished second overall with four more cadets in the top 35.
Mildreth Hernandez put Kofa High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps rifle team at the top of the national standings, winning first place in the National Rifle Association’s Rifle Championship and delivering the first national gold medal in program history.
Hernandez was one of 132 competitors in the field. Her win was matched by a deep team showing: Thifanny Cardenas finished fifth, Delila Mendez took seventh, Gunner Kinsey placed 22nd and Michael Lawson finished 35th. Kofa ended the event second out of 27 teams and earned a silver medal.
Maj. Todd Birney, the team’s instructor, said, “There are no words to describe this fantastic season,” crediting seniors for mentoring the younger shooters who will carry the program forward.
In January, Hernandez became the first Kofa marksman to finish in the top 10 at the Marine Corps Postal, placing 10th out of 867 shooters as the team finished 12th out of 184 teams. More than 6,000 JROTC cadets enter the postal competition each year, and the top teams and individuals advance toward the National JROTC Championship, which has been held since 2003.
Kofa’s MCJROTC rifle team placed 19th out of 26 teams at the Civilian Marksmanship Program National Championship in Camp Perry, Ohio, from June 17-21, 2026. The 2026 JROTC National Air Rifle Championship was held March 26-28 at the same Camp Perry site.
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