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The 2026 World Drill Championships were held May 1-3 at the Ocean Center Arena in Daytona Beach, Florida. Recognized as the premier exhibition drill competition in the nation, the event brings together elite solo, tandem, and team performers from JROTC programs representing all branches of service.
Three cadets from Paloma Valley High School competed independently at this year’s championship, earning top honors among a field of more than 100 competitors.
Cadets Nicholas Medina and Gabriel Dunn captured first place in the Tandem Drill event. When asked what was the first thing to come to mind upon hearing their names announced as overall winners, Medina said, “It immediately took me back to the first time we started to take drill seriously. We knew that we had what it took to be champions.”
Dunn added, “I knew it! I felt confident we were going to win…We are definitely built differently.”
In Solo Drill competition, Medina earned first place, while Dunn secured third place — an exceptional showing at the highest level of the sport.
These results mark a significant achievement for the cadets and highlight the discipline, precision, and dedication required to compete at the national level. During the competition, each cadet proudly identified Paloma Valley High School as their home program while reporting to judges. This 2025-2026 school year, the Battlecat Drill team as a whole took third place in the Area 21 State Drill Competition.
