Kofa MCJROTC Advances to Service Championships as Hernandez Scores Historic Top-10

Kofa High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps rifle team qualified for the Service Championships after placing 12th out of 184 teams at the Marine Corps Postal, a national competition held in November. Results were announced January 20, 2026, and set the program on course for the February Service Championships.

The standout story for Yuma County is Cadet Mildreth Hernandez, a senior who finished 10th out of 867 shooters, the first top-10 mark for a Kofa marksman. Hernandez celebrated her personal milestone while reflecting on her growth in the program. "Qualifying for the Service Championships this year is definitely a bittersweet moment because I still can’t believe it will be my last time participating in this event," she said. "I have grown so much with this program since I was a freshman and from when I first ever made it to the championships. I am very excited to compete and do my best to qualify for nationals. I hope to make everyone who has supported me throughout my time here proud."

The achievement brings attention not only to the rifle team but to the broader role JROTC programs play in Yuma. For many students, MCJROTC provides structure, leadership training, and a pathway to further education or service. Success at national-stage events raises the profile of local youth programs and can translate into increased community support, recruitment of new cadets, and potential scholarship or postsecondary opportunities for standout students.

There are broader public health and equity implications. Extracurricular programs like MCJROTC can contribute to adolescent mental health and resilience by offering mentorship, routine, and adult supervision outside of school hours. Yet these benefits depend on stable funding, access to equipment and coaching, and equitable opportunities for all schools in the county. As Kofa prepares for February’s Service Championships, the program’s success underscores a need for sustained community investment so that more Yuma students can access similar supports.

Local stakeholders - from school administrators to veterans groups and civic organizations - have an opportunity to mobilize around the team. Community investment can include volunteer coaching, fundraising for travel and equipment, or partnerships with local businesses to keep costs from blocking participation.

Kofa’s advancement and Hernandez’s historic top-10 finish offer a moment of local pride and remind the community that youth development programs deliver measurable results. Next up is the Service Championships in February; how Yuma rallies around its cadets will shape not only their competitive prospects but the long-term health and opportunity landscape for local youth.