Shiny black shoes, no-bag pants and uniforms as crisp as new dollar bills was the attire for student cadets competing in the state's 15th annual Air Force JROTC competition.

Competing schools were Ogden, Ben Lomond, Northridge, East, Provo, Taylorsville, Highland, West, Independence and Clearfield.

Clearfield captured Saturday's overall state championship, its third consecutive championship.

Placing second and third were Northridge and Ogden, respectively, with the unarmed drill winner being Northridge and the armed drill winner being Clearfield.

The competition, hosted Saturday at Clearfield High School, featured 10 high schools competing in armed and unarmed drills, exhibitions and color guard, with winners taking home trophies, medals and bragging rights.

"It's about this time every year," Clearfield High Senior Aerospace Instructor Maj. Kit Workman said of the event that had about 200 cadets competing before an equal number of onlookers.

The armed and unarmed drills were in the Clearfield High gym, while the armed exhibition events -- in which cadets literally toss their rifles -- were held in the parking lot to prevent any rifle drops from damaging the gym's wood floor, Workman said.

"When those kids are throwing those rifles," he said, "they are throwing about 13 pounds at one another."

But the upper-body strength needed to throw and spin the weaponry does not deter female cadets from taking lead roles at their schools.

Northridge High senior Tatum Chesmer, team leader for the Knights' JROTC armed drill team, said she became interested in the program as a result of her brother being involved in it.

"I'm their friend before I'm their leader," Chesmer said, explaining her leadership style.

She is not the only female Knight who leads.

Amber Muston leads the school's unarmed drill team.

"My dad was in the Air Force," said the senior, who says she gets an adrenaline rush from competing and winning.

Ben Lomond High Battalion Commander Charlie Stevens, 18, called out commands while directing a drill team with only four seniors. He said he felt good about the team's regulation drill, but wasn't as confident about the inspection preceding it.

The good news?

"Most of them will be back next year," said Sgt. Maj. B. Brown, senior Army instructor with the Ben Lomond High drill team.

Despite their youth, Brown said, the team did pretty well.

But rivals admitted it was the Northridge and Clearfield teams that drew most of the applause and praise from the crowd.

"It's the straightest line I've ever seen by cadets," said Tom Boender, whose son T.J. is on the Clearfield team.

"They were straight -- body straight, even their heads. They practice a lot," said Kalyn Womble, whose son Aaron is a member of the Clearfield High drill team.

Senior Master Sgt. Wayne Whelchel, the drill team instructor for Northridge High, said, "That's what it takes, a lot of hours."