Pictured are Master Sergeant (retired) Chris Duncan, Paul Dillingham, Carole Thomas, Bryce Thomas, Zach Chastain and Andrew Lathe.

PICKENS — After advancing through two phases of online competition, the Pickens High School JROTC Leadership Team composed of Carole Thomas, Andrew Lathe, Zach Chastain, Paul Dillingham and Bryce Thomas will compete in person at the final championship event of The 2015 Army JROTC Leadership Bowl Championship in Washington D.C., on the campus of The Catholic University of America on June 26-30.

The event is sponsored by the Army JROTC and is conducted by College Options Foundation.

During the initial two rounds of competitive online play, the Pickens High School JROTC team earned top scores out of the 1,320 teams that competed from around the world to win a place in the National Leadership Bowl competition and the all-expense paid trip to D.C. The team is one of only 40 Army JROTC Academic Bowl teams in the nation to advance to the finals. In the fast-paced preliminary rounds, cadets were tested on their knowledge of leadership values and skills including leadership tenets from Gen. George C. Marshall.

The JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl is a nationally recognized competition created exclusively for JROTC students. By participating, cadets learn the values of citizenship, academic competition, and college opportunity. The competition creates tremendous opportunities for JROTC cadets by allowing them to demonstrate leadership and academic abilities.

College Options Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the academic development of high school students and assisting them in their preparation for higher education. Using academic competitions, college exam study guides, college admissions tutorials and personalized counseling, College Options Foundation has assisted the nation’s JROTC cadets worldwide for more than a decade.