After numerous hours of sweat and dedication, the NJROTC Seahornets celebrated their eighth consecutive Navy National's win on April 2 & 3.

"It's a lot of work. Eight doesn't just happen," Commander Armando Solis said. "They've gone through the times when they wanted to give up. Everybody goes through the time when they say, 'I don't want to wake up. It's too hot. It's too cold. I don't want to be here.' But they'be found it deep inside: the dedication, the fire, to say, 'But this is important and this is what I'll be doing.'"

Staying on top of the nation definitely doesn't come at an easy price. These cadets sacrifice their sleep to attend seven o'clock inspection, while fellow students snooze through the morning. Even at six o'clock, the color guard marches down the band lplarking lot to perfect their drill: presenting the U.S. and Texas flags with patriotism. Yet even with the mornings dedicated to ROTC, the varsity team members still attend after-school practice from four to six.

"It's exhausting. After practice you feel you don't have anything left," PT commander and junior Megan Bess said. "You feel you don't have anything left at all, but you keep on sweating. You don't have any sweat left, but we just keep on going."

The PT team breathes, eats and sleeps physical activity. They persevere through countless push-ups, strain themselves through ab-numbing sit-ups and run themselves through one and a half miles of exhaustion.

"The highest place we ever got before in PT was eighth place, but I totally increased practice and people didn't like it, but everyone put up with it. It paid off. We got fourth in PT which is the best we ever got," Megan said.

As the armed drill commander, senior Steve Medrano demands focus and desire for excellence during the two hour practice. He doesn't accept slackers or goof-offs because one slip-up can lead to the downfall of victory.

"If you don't practice one hundred percent, you won't put forth one hundred percent when it comes down to it," Steve said. The armed drill won first in both basic (just marching) and exhibition (marching with rifles).

Since the first Navy Nationals win in '97, the Seahornets hold strong to many traditions which stir some sentimental security among the cadets.

"We all get in a circle, and link pinkies right over left, and say a prayer," unarmed drill commander and senior Brittany Moye said.

Yet apart from these emotional connections, some traditions, especially among the Academic team, stem from an odd array of facts, jokes and superstitions. for example, before every Academics test, Commander Solis gives the team a peppermint because it supposedly stimulates the brain (which will hopefully help the cadets remember facts in naval history and military strategies). Since they call themselves the Sea Monkeys, they also jokingly sport the little red monkeys from the Monkey in the Barrel game around their wrists. And if the traditions could seem any stranger, they've added a new ripple to their evergrowing sea of weirdness.

"Recently, we've put breathe right nose strips to increase the oxygen flow to our brains," academics commander and senior Aaron Assefaw said. "(When we walk in) everyone would start looking at us and wonder, 'This is the team that beats us every year?'"

Though the ROTC team seems to enjoy the "fun and games" of winning under friendly terms, this tide of friendliness inevitably turns sour. Some years before, the cadets bickered and griped amongst each other creating a "family" under not so friendly terms. So in order to regain the bond of camaraderie, new traditions were spurred on to respark unity.

"Last year, we weren't really friends and the team was breaking up. Nobody was getting along and we had lots of clicks," battalion commander, female color guard commander and senior Hayley Rasnick said. "(So) Commander (Solis) set us down and told us, 'We need to be one heartbeat, one team.' And so at the end of our cheer everyday is 'One heartbeat, team. One heartbeat, team. One heartbeat, Seahornets.' It constantly reminds us that we need to be together as one person."

As one heartbeat, the Seahornets endure unnumerable hours of practice, sacrifice their sleep, and donate their hearts into the team. Their efforts have been rewarded in eight consecutive victories. But this spotlight can blow up anyone's head, so Commander Solis created a symbol to remind the cadets of their humble determination.

"Every time we hit the Oso Bridge coming home, the team stops talking," Commander Solis said. "They might be laughing and joking, but everyone stops talking until we get on the FB side to remind us that no matter how many levels of success, if it was a local drill meet or a national competition, that we're gonna start fresh as we get back and we'll start over again."

So practice will resume as usual at the crack of dawn until the gloom of dusk with the same fire and enthusiasm of times before. The Seahornets now prepare for one final battle to test their last remaining ounce of willpower and stamina on May 1 & 2's All-Service Championship at Daytona, Florida.

"No one in the Navy has won back to back All-Service Championships, so this is the opportunity now to do what no other Navy team has ever done," Commander Solis said.

FB wishes the Seahornets the best of luck. We shall say our prayers, cross our fingers and forever chant, "Dominate, dominate, dominate, Seahornets."