CUMBERLAND – Cumberland High School's JROTC program has been leading the way in competitions throughout the year.

Cadet Alex Bapties recently competed in a JROTC marksmanship contest where the results show that he is now ranked third in his Brigade, which encompasses a six-state area that includes Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia.

The highly competitive competition was sponsored by the Civilian Marksmanship Program, a national organization that focuses on educating U.S. citizens on the responsible use of firearms. The annual JROTC marksmanship contest is open to Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force cadets, according to a release provided by the school. Over 8,000 cadets from 2,500 JROTC units throughout the nation compete.

The complete Cumberland marksmanship team consists of Alex and his brother, John Ryan Bapties, Christina Bowles, Ronald Bruffy, Ashley Frayser, Chris Green, Casey Henry, Rebekah Johnson, and William Kinney.

Team-wise, the Cumberland JROTC team is ranked second in the state, finishing slightly behind the school's old rival Wythe County.

Nationally, the team is ranked fifth in their Brigade and 19th in the nation. Their coach is Dan Pemple.

According to Major Peter Amico and Sergeant Steven Carrier, the CES Marksmanship Team has been invited to the Army Junior ROTC Championship Match in Anniston, Alabama, which is set for February 17-19, 2011.