Romeoville High School’s Marine Corps Junior ROTC program earned second place at the 2026 MCJROTC National Drill Championship.

The competition was held April 11 in Norman Park, Georgia.

The program was facing disestablishment at the end of the 2026-27 school year because of low participation.

Valley View Community Unit School District 365U led an appeal to the U.S. Marine Corps and the decision was reversed, according to a news release from Romeoville High School.

On April 8, Senior Marine Instructor MGySgt Jonathan Couturier announced the program would continue for at least three years, provided enrollment reaches 50 cadets, and all National Defense Cadet Corps requirements are met.

The news came just hours before the unit boarded a bus for the 16-hour, 926-mile journey to Georgia.

Romeoville was one of only nine MCJROTC programs nationwide selected to compete at the National Drill Championship—the first time the program’s over 50-year history.

The unit earned second place overall, competing in three specific events:

• National Regulation: Second place

• National Color Guard: Fourth place

• National Exhibition: Fourth place

Romeoville was the only school to place ahead of Brenham High School in Texas, which defended its 2025 championship title.

Cadet 1st Sgt. Melanie Arellano, a Romeoville 12th-grader, earned recognition as the Top Unit Commander in the Nation.

“This was an absolutely outstanding experience for our cadets,” Senior Marine Instructor MGySgt Jonathan Couturier said in a news release. “Our cadets have put in many years of effort to make it to Nationals. I’m so proud of our performances this entire school year. To place second overall in the nation and have the Top Unit Leader is a testament to how these cadets are trained. This team represented Romeoville and VVSD with class and distinction.”

The RHS MCJROTC program qualified for the National Drill Championship after competing in seven qualifying competitions from August to February.