A dozen members of the Lake Havasu City Police Department Explorers program brought home a first-place trophy they earned for outstanding teamwork — and team spirit — during a national tactical competition.

The winning Explorers teammates stand for a photo Wednesday with the 6-foot spirit trophy they won at a recent tactical competition. Front row from left, Explorers Kila Dransfield, Katelynne Murphy, Breanna Kline, and Crystal Montez. Back row from left, Explorers Kevin Barber, Jeremy Bates, Mark Hazen, Joshua Neskahi, Michael Taylor, Eduardo Lopez, Sabrina Meli and Robert Lane. Jayne Hanson/News-Herald Photo

The competition was the 14th annual Tactical Competition 2012, which is hosted each year by Chandler Police Department, in that city. It was Jan. 13 to 15.

The Explorers have regular fundraisers and subsidize themselves with $100 payment to attend. The local Explorers are taught and led by Lake Havasu City police officers Dan Kuch, Clint Wilcox, and Ken Mitchell.

At the competition, there were 54 teams from different regions of the U.S. Havasu’s Explorers have been attending the Chandler-based competition since 2002. And this is the first team to bring home the spirit trophy.

“I’m just so proud of the kids,” Mitchell said. “In the past, we’ve brought home as many as seven or so awards. But this one is the best because all 12 participated in getting the coins to win it.”

The spirit award is based on the team that earns the most challenge coins. Challenge coins are doled out by Chandler S.W.A.T. members and other organizing officials at the event. The coins are awarded for positivity, effectively taking constructive criticism, and excelling in simulated scenarios.

The team said Wednesday their methods of earning the coveted coins included team pushups, one arm pushups, skipping around the complex, bench pressing each other, cafeteria clean up, helping set up tarps for rain protection, and sharing heartfelt words of encouragement.

In all, they collected 200 coins, which was 20 more than a Los Angeles-based team also vying for the award.

“They were shocked, super-excited,” Mitchell said of the team’s reaction when their name was called for the spirit award, the last award to be presented. “It was sky-high energy for the rest of the night.”

This year’s team was a new group with three repeating and nine first-time participants, Mitchell said.

The team also won second-place in the Explosive Ordinance Device competition. The scenario includes four teammates, two are designated to a command van with schematics and radio communications and two are designated to a building with a mock bomb situation. The teammates must communicate by radio, describe the device and the van-bound team must locate the correct schematic for the device and relay back instruction on how to disarm the device. The task must be completed in 40 minutes.

Havasu completed the exercise in 20 minutes for second-place. The winning competitors completed the task in 10 minutes, Mitchell said.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.