MMI Cadets Place 3rd at Fire Challenge League in Salt Lake City
Marion Military Institute (MMI) Fire Cadets recently returned from the Firefighter Challenge League – West Regional held April 24-26 in Salt Lake City, where they placed 3rd in relay among 19 competitors in the “male under 40” division and set a state record in the tandem race.
Representing MMI’s extracurricular First Responder Program in the Challenge were Cadets Ryan Andrews, Jacob Hilb, Donovan Smith, Kameron Peels, and Andrew Maroyka. Their finish impressed event organizers and spectators, considering MMI students (ages 18-20) were first-timers traveling from the Southeast competing against predominantly professional firefighters representing Western departments such as Missoula, Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls. Touted as “the toughest 2 minutes in sports” and presented by Servpro, the Challenge was broadcast live on the FCL Network.
Also traveling with the team were 1SG Ernest Donaldson, First Responder Program director, and Cyrus Sabri, photographer. Based on their relay finish, MMI has automatically qualified for Fire Challenge League nationals in Oklahoma City in September. Funding for the trip was provided by the MMI Foundation, and the cadets appreciated their college’s support of professional development event.