AHS claims UIL academic success

Sixteen Athens High School students qualified for the UIL Academic Regional Meet held April 13. Pictured (top row, from left) are Madison Westover, Avery Houp, Kathryn Martinez (middle row, from left), Will Honea, Francisco Sosa, Tucker Hall, Jose Sanchez (bottom row, from left), Dylan Lindsey, Ideal Ademaj, Jacob Moore, Yuvia Leon, Aryn Rodriguez and Ale Pedroza. The math team and a member of the speech and debate team will advance to the UIL State Meet in May. (Toni Garrard Clay/AISD)

By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Coordinator

Athens High School has another trophy to put in the display case after enjoying success this year in UIL academic competition.

The school hosted the UIL District 18-4A Academic Meet on March 21 and finished as District Runners-Up with 16 students qualifying for regionals. The speech and math teams were standouts with first-place finishes, and the journalism, literary criticism and social studies teams each took second.

The regional academic meet was held April 13 and 14 at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, which saw the math team of Ideal Ademaj, Jacob Moore, Yuvia Leon, Aryn Rodriguez, Dylan Lindsey and Ale Pedroza again taking second place. Moore was the individual champion in mathematics with a score just shy of perfect. Ideal Ademaj placed second individually in number sense. Both Moore and Ademaj will compete individually as well as with the team at the state meet. Tucker Hall also advances to state with a third-place finish in persuasive speaking. The Academic State Meet will be May 4-5, with speech events May 21-22, on the University of Texas at Austin campus.

The Hornet Theatre Company also competed April 13 at the UIL One-Act Play regional meet in Atascocita. Having won first place at every level up to that point, the troup saw their superlative run end just shy of the state meet. Individual awards went out that day to Rayne McDonald, Outstanding Technician; Jackson Killgore, All-Star Cast; and Cooper Rolison and Will Perryman, Honorable Mention All-Star Cast.

Students who competed in the regional meet in Huntsville and their events are Madison Westover, journalism; Avery Houp, literary criticism; Kathryn Martinez, history; Will Honea, persuasive and extemporaneous speaking; Francisco Sosa, informative and extemporaneous speech; Tucker Hall, Lincoln Douglas debate and extemporaneous speaking; Jose Sanchez, informative and extemporaneous speaking; Gavvy Lott, poetry; Lauren Pickle, prose; Ale Pedroza, math and persuasive speaking; and Dylan Lindsey, Ideal Ademaj, Jacob Moore, Yuvia Leon and Aryn Rodriguez, all math.