UIL academics takes second in district

UIL Speech Team– (Back) Blaine Dyck, Michael Fehr, Bradley Everett, Caleb Stanley, Eli Call, Dane Wimmer, (front) Cathryn Johnson, Natasha Fehr, Sky Reyes, Reese Cooper, Moises Ybaben Burciaga, Payton Carter, Alayna Amen

The UIL academic team took 234 points in the district UIL meet over the past two weeks to take second overall behind Andrews. Monahans was third, Greenwood was fourth, Fort Stockton was fifth and Pecos took sixth.

The one-act play Yerma took third place at district and advanced to bi-district. Due to pandemic measures, the area round was eliminated and only two plays advanced to region from bi-district. Yerma was third in bi-district.

District honors for one-act included 48 points (capped from 50 by UIL) included Best Actress–senior Reese Cooper; all-star cast–senior Micah Smith; and honorable mention all-star cast–senior Briana Froese and sophomore Ruger Scott. Freshman Kyle Reimer was also chosen as best technician.

The majority of the other contests took place on March 22 in Fort Stockton with first, second and third places advancing to regionals.

Senior Payton Carter took first place in literary criticism.

Junior Addison Espinoza took sixth in current issues and events.

In mathematics, senior Bryan Wiebe took fifth and sophomore Darren Casarez tied for sixth. The team which included seniors Bryce Boyles and Blake Hamblin, took second overall for an additional five points.

In number sense,  Boyles took fifth. The team, which included Hamblin, junior Dylan Klassen and senior Irvin Delgado, took second overall for an additional five points.

The computer science team of  junior Yarely Delgado, Wiebe and senior Justin Knelsen took second place as a team for an additional five points.

The journalism team which encompasses five events took first place as a team with for an additional 10 points and a total of 140 points.

In news writing, senior Robin Franklin took first, senior Aaliyah Booth was second and senior Sydney Gonzales was fourth.

In feature writing, Franklin took first, Gonzales took second and Booth was fourth.

In editorial writing, senior Bradley Everett was second, Franklin was fifth and Gonzales took sixth.

In headline writing, Franklin was fourth and Gonzales was fifth.

In copy editing, Franklin was second, Gonzales was third, and Everett was fourth.

The speech team, which includes six events, took the team championship with 187 points, which included cross-examination debate in January.

In cross-examination debate, the team of seniors Carter and Cathryn Johnson took second.

The other five events competed in Monahans on March 30.

In Lincoln-Douglas debate, junior Caleb Stanley took first, junior Dane Wimmer was second and junior Blaine Dyck was fifth.

In prose interpretation, junior Michael Fehr was first, senior Sky Reyes was second, and senior Natasha Fehr was fourth.

In poetry interpretation, senior Reese Cooper took first, senior Moises Ybaben Burciaga was fourth, and Johnson was sixth.

In informative speaking, senior Alayna Amen took first, Carter was second, and Everett was third.

In persuasive speaking, Wimmer took first, junior Eli Call was second, and Johnson was fourth.

The 12 regional qualifiers will compete in 10 events at the Region 1-4A meet at Texas Tech on April 16-17.