2025-26 in Review: Top 10 MMA Highlights

From college admissions and scholarship success to state medalists and national-level competition, the 2025-26 school year showcased the many ways Missouri Military Academy cadets excel in academics, athletics, leadership and service. The following stories highlight some of the Academy’s most significant accomplishments and memorable moments from the year.

Feature photo: The Missouri Military Academy Color Guard presents the colors during a military review on Colonels Field on May 10, 2026. The formal review highlights the high expectations, discipline, teamwork and military traditions cultivated through MMA’s military education model.

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1. Missouri Military Academy’s Class of 2026 Celebrates Commencement with $13.1 Million+ in College Scholarship Offers

MMA celebrated the graduation of 49 cadets on May 16. The graduates have been offered more than $13.1 million in college scholarships. Keynote speaker Dean Davison ’78 challenged the class to carry forward the values of discipline, integrity, resilience and brotherhood learned at MMA.

Members of the graduating class also earned prestigious scholarship opportunities. Cadet John Trippe received an appointment to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School. Cadets River Punab-Mitchell, Deonte Kerns and Christopher Song were awarded competitive three-year Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps scholarships. 

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2. MMA Earns A+ Rating, Ranks #2 Best All-Boys High School in Missouri

For the sixth consecutive year, Missouri Military Academy earned an A+ rating from Niche and was recognized as the #2 Best All-Boys High School in Missouri. The ranking highlights MMA's excellence in academics, college preparation, leadership development and the overall cadet experience. 

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3. MMA’s Competitive Army JROTC Teams Shine in Sectionals and National Competition 

Missouri Military Academy’s Army JROTC Raiders earned a third-place overall finish in the Challenge Level Male Division at the 2026 JROTC National Raider Challenge, held April 16–19 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Competing against top teams from across the nation, the cadets demonstrated strength,  endurance and teamwork in this military-style competition. 

At the Army JROTC Rifle Sectionals in Camp Perry, Ohio, Feb. 12–14, 2026, the Academy’s rookie rifle team placed second overall, the veteran team finished third, and the hybrid team placed 12th among 36 teams.  MMA finished just 15 points shy of a national championship berth, posting a competitive 4,227 points. 

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4. MMA Cyber Team Claims State Title, Earns Third-Place Finish at National Competition 

MMA cadets Lian Haddad, William Larson, Sean Mumm and Eric Shellabarger placed third in division 2 at a Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition hosted by the University of Alabama, finishing among 59 teams from 17 states. 

Plus, Missouri Military Academy cadets earned 1st- and 4th-place finishes at the Missouri Cybersecurity Challenge Capture the Flag (CTF) competition and MMA cadets earned elite AI scholarships, preparing for futures in cyber and technology, and the Leadership Initiatives Cybersecurity & Business Consulting Summer Program at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

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5. MMA Corps Earns Continued Honor Unit with Distinction at 2026 JPA Inspection 

Missouri Military Academy’s Corps of Cadets earned continued designation as an Honor Unit with Distinction following its performance at the March 18 Army JROTC Program for Accreditation (JPA) inspection. Led by Cadet Battalion Commander River Punab-Mitchell ’26, Band Company Commander Jacob Stallone ’26, Bravo Company Commander Fernando Puebla ’26, Charlie Company Commander Clayton Reich ’26 and Echo Company Commander Aaden Bado ‘26, cadets demonstrated excellence across all areas of evaluation. 

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6. MMA Scores High in National Military School Competitions 

Demonstrating outstanding academic excellence, military bearing, teamwork, and physical training, Missouri Military Academy (MMA) cadets earned multiple honors in the 2025 Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS) annual competitions. In the High School Division, MMA earned 2nd place in the Physical Training (PT) Competition and Drill Competition, plus third in the Academic Bowl. 

Missouri Military Academy cadets competed at the 2026 National Military School Band & Choir Festival held February 2026 at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia, earning multiple first-chair honors, national medals and top choir awards against military schools from across the country. 

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7. MMA Expands College Triumph Program with Greater Access to University Classrooms 

Missouri Military Academy expanded its College Triumph Program this academic year, further redefining dual-credit education by giving cadets the opportunity to take real college classes on nearby university campuses — not simply college-level courses taught in a high school classroom.

Through partnerships with Westminster College and William Woods University, qualifying cadets learn directly from university faculty while experiencing the expectations, independence, and rigor of authentic college life within MMA’s structured and supportive environment. Over the past three years, an average of 61 cadets have qualified each year to take MMA’s College Triumph classes.  

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8. MMA Cadet-Athletes Earn Top State Finishes Across Multiple Sports 

MMA cadets earned state recognition across multiple sports during the 2025-26 school year. Cadets Henry Scribner ’27 and Ruben Emilio Reyes ’26 earned seventh place and state medals at the MSHSAA Class 1 Boys Doubles State Championships, while Cadet Mason Quarles ’26 placed fourth at 157 pounds and Cadet Deonte Kerns ’26 secured sixth at 150 pounds at the MSHSAA state wrestling championships.

Cadet Trey Burle ’28 of Mexico, Missouri, posted two top-15 finishes at the MSHSAA Class 1 State Swimming Championships and earned personal records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke. In cross country, Cadets Christopher Song ’26 and Jesus Robinson ’26 qualified for the 2025 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships after strong district performances. 

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9. MMA Cadets Advance to State in Business Competition, Earn White House Recognition 

Seven cadets in MMA’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter advanced to and participated in the FBLA State Leadership Conference in Springfield, Missouri, April 12–14, 2026.  The conference annually brings together thousands of students from across the state for leadership development, workshops and competitive events.  Cadet Enkh-Ireedui Altangerel ’27 earned fifth place in Accounting I, competing against approximately 100 top business students from across Missouri. 

The MMA Color Guard, made up of cadets who qualified for the FBLA State Leadership Conference, earned national recognition for its excellence after presenting the colors during the conference’s opening ceremony. Following the conference, the color guard received a formal letter of commendation from Army Staff Sgt. Cameron W. Yeager of the White House Medical Unit, who praised the cadets’ discipline, precision and professionalism.  

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10. MMA Cadets Make Positive Impact Through Service-Learning 

Missouri Military Academy cadets continued to make a meaningful impact through the Academy’s service-learning program, which teaches leadership, responsibility and civic engagement. The entire corps of cadets participated in MMA’s 2025 Community Service Days during the fall 2025 and spring 2026 semesters, volunteering throughout the region at organizations including Presser Arts Center, the Missouri Veterans Home in Mexico, American Legion/VFW Ashland, the Ashland Optimist Club, the Mexico Animal Shelter, the Mexico-Audrain County Library, Arthur Hills Golf Course, Elmwood Cemetery and Plunkett Park.