The Mount Pleasant High School UIL Academic team opened its spring season on Friday and Saturday, January 7 and 8, at the Pine Tree High School UIL Invitational in Longview.

Debate opened the competition on Friday night with the following results:

Lincoln Douglas:

2nd place—Angelina Hernandez

Cross Examination:

3rd place–Taylor Hubbs and Merlin Cardona

4th place—Connelly Cowan and Anthony Orellana

Top Speaker—Taylor Hubbs

Saturday continued with academic and speech events with the following results:

Spelling (1st place team):

1st place—Isabel Gonzales

2nd place—Sophie Greco

5th place—Angelina Hernandez

Calculator Applications:

(9th grade) 3rd place—Tanner Marshall, 5th place—Luke Thurman

(11th grade) 2nd place—Param Poudel, 4th place—Alan Garrett

(12th grade) 5th place—Jackelin Gomez

Overall: 4th place—Param Poudel

Mathematics:

(9th grade) 2nd place—Tanner Marshall, 5th place—Luke Thurman

(11th grade) 2nd place—Perla Guzman, 6th place—Param Poudel

(12th grade) 6th place—Mary Kait Heeren

Current Events:

3rd place—Connelly Cowan

Ready Writing:

4th place—Makayla Spigner

6th place—Angelina Hernandez

Computer Apps:

6th place—Jakob Carr

Social Studies:

3rd place—Luiz Olvera

4th place—Odalys Adame

Speech (2nd place team)

Informative Extemporaneous Speaking:

1st place—Connelly Cowan

2nd place—Taylor Hubbs

Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking:

4th place—Anthony Orellana

Science:

(12th Grade) 6th place—Esteban Trejo

(11th grade) 5th place—Natalie Crockett

The MPHS UIL Academic teams will compete again at the Whitehouse Invitational on January 28 and 29 as they prepare for the district meet. The teams are coached by Gina Crouch (UIL Coordinator, Spelling and Current Events), Osias Hernandez (Math and Calculator), Gabrielle Robbins (Ready Writing), Tammy Thomas (Computer Science), David Clark (Computer Apps and Accounting), Leanne Blalock (Social Studies), Enrique Martinez (Speech and Debate), John Whitten (Journalism), Larry Russell (Science), Randy Ballard (Number Sense), and Angela Priefert (Literary Criticism).

Pictured: members of the MPHS UIL Academic teams