KU Army ROTC Cadets named to national order-of-merit list

LAWRENCE — The U.S. Army Cadet Command named two University of Kansas Army ROTC cadets to its annual rankings of the top 10 senior cadets in the country.

Cadet Joseph Schroer, of Denver, placed fourth, and Cadet Joseph McConnell, of Newton, placed sixth out of 5,536 senior ROTC cadets on the national order-of-merit list.

Cadet Command compiles the list based on several criteria, including grade-point average, strong performance on the Army Physical Fitness Test, college athletic participation and performance during college ROTC training and Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

“We take pride in the commitment to academic, physical and personal excellence shown by cadets Schroer and McConnell,” said Lt. Col. Tracey Olson, professor of military science. “I look forward to following their continued success as leaders in the United States Army.”

McConnell is a senior in Russian, Eastern European & Eurasian studies, and Schroer is a senior in chemical engineering. Both will be commissioned as infantry officers in May 2018.

The top-ranking Army ROTC cadets for fiscal 2018:

1. Michael Orgeron, Louisiana State University

2. Andrew Gomez, University of North Georgia

3. Shane Neal, Michigan State University

4. Joseph Schroer, KU

5. Bryton Wenzel, University of North Georgia

6. Joseph McConnell, KU

7. Robert Wiegand, The Citadel

8. Benjamin Nelson, University of North Dakota

9. Ellis Johnson, Dickinson College

10. Cormac O'Halloran, Washington University.

Photos: At top right, Cadet Joseph Schroer, of Denver, pictured with Maj. Gen. Christopher Hughes. At right, Cadet Joseph McConnell, pictured with Hughes. Photos courtesy of Joe Midgley.