Make it two years in a row.
Nacogdoches High School’s dominance at the district Academic UIL competition was thorough, totaling 100 more points than last spring when NHS earned its first academic title in years.
The Dragons won first place sweepstakes, totaled 639 points, earned 52 medals in 22 events and won eight first place team distinctions while taking two more two second place distinctions. CLICK HERE to see complete results. Competitions that make up the district contest take place over a few weeks and include speech and debate, academic and one-act play.
Twenty-five Dragons qualified for the regional competition that will take place April 26-27 at the University of Texas-Arlington.
Regional qualifiers include: Olivia Ajero, Nixon Long, Julian Pruit, Derek Polo, Taylor Hart, Samantha McQuage, Justin Phillips, Mel Chandler-Ezell, Charlie Hodge, Rogelio Garcia, Armaan Rajani, Nayeli Carrillo and Keit Man.
Also, Paul Ma, Joselyn Garcia, Mark Sifuentes, Heidi Nicholas, Elia Leon, Geovani Centeno, Carlos Castillo, Robyn Chandler-Ezell, Ja Brandon Chatman, Caleb Johnson, Jean Choi and Anna Gutierrez.
NHS took first place team honors in Number Sense (Olivia Ajero, Nixon Long, Julia Pruit and Derek Polo), Current Events (Justin Phillips, Mel Chandler-Ezell, Charlie Hodge and Rogelio Garcia), Calculator Applications (Olivia Ajero, Armaan Rajani and Nayeli Carrillo) and Literary Criticism (Samantha McQuage, Geovani Centeno and Taylor Hart).
Also, Mathematics (Nixon Long, Olivia Ajero), Social Studies (Justin Phillips, Mel Chandler-Ezell), Journalism, Prose Interpretation (JaBrandon Chatman, Jhanay Henry), Persuasive Speaking (Jean Choi) and Speech.
JaBrandon Chatman and Samantha McQuage won the district CX Debate championship.
Journalism team (back row, from left) – Heidi Nicholas, DeLayna Adams, Irvin Cruz, Mark Sifuentes, Rebecca Jaramillo (coach); (front row) – Samantha Torres, Elia Leon, Joselyn Gonzalez. Not pictured: Abigail Roldan.
Literary criticism (front row, from left) – Dawn Pierce (coach), Taylor Hart; (back row) Gezle Uson, Samantha McQuage, Carlos Castillo, Geovani Centeno.
Computer applications (from left) – Coach Veronica York, Julian Vazquez, Ja'Brandon Chatman, Paul Ma and coach Jazmin Pratscher.
Ready Writing team (from left) – Coach Whitney McClelland, Samantha McQuage, Taylor Hart and Geovani Centeno.
Social Studies and Current Events and Issues teams (front row, from left) – Mel Chandler-Ezell, Robyn Chandler-Ezell and Justin Phillips; (back row) – Armaan Rajani, Rogelio Garcia and Charlie Hodge. Not Pictured: Coach Elyse Meyer.
Science team (front row, from left) – Chemistry Coach Amy Chism, Amory Cooper, Grace Hao and Nayeli Carrillo; (back row) – Julian Pruit, Nixon Long, Sebastian Darville and Physics Coach Jason Ray.
One-act Play (front row, from left) – Lourdes Leon, Grayson Rhoden, Riley Hall, Brianna Hightower, Rees Runnels, Melanie Garcia and Amanda Abbott; (middle row) Victoria Perry, Peyton Lewis, Maite Cano, Kylar Bowden, Isabelle Clay, William Vermeulen, Grady Hart; (back row) Samantha McQuage, Mars McIntosh, Jamie Gibson, Bryan Martinez and Jacob Norman.
Number Sense, Calculator Applications, Mathematics teams (front row, from left) – Peyton Casner, Amory Cooper, Armaan Rajani, Nayeli Carrillo, Olivia Ajero, Derek Polo and Joselyn Gonzalez; (back row) – Audree Gillespie, Kiet Ma, Nixon Long, Julian Pruit, Kieran Middlebrook, Becky Martin and Yiming (Grace) Hao.
Lincoln Douglass Debate, Prose and Poetry Interpretation, and Informative and Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking teams (front row, from left) – Yamilet Leon, Jhanay Henry, JaBrandon Chatman, Jean Choi, Anna Gutierrez, Cassie Tieman and Coach Veronica York; (back row) – Coach Kristin Thomas, Samantha McQuage, Charlie Hodge, Lynsie Wiebold, Rogelio Garcia, Caleb Johnson and Justin Phillips. Not pictured: Coach Christopher Knowlton.