The Mount Pleasant High School UIL Academic teams opened their spring semester at the Pine Tree Jar of Dirt Invitational in Longview. MPHS placed 3rd overall, just 4 points behind second place. Additionally, senior Brissia Alvarez was awarded Best Paper of the Day for her editorial piece.

Individual results:

Spelling (1st place team) Brissia Alvarez 1st, Jenny Luna 2nd, Juliet Luna 3rd, Wendy Valdez 4th, Luke Brown 5th, Gabe Arredondo 6th

Social Studies (1st place team) Raymond Sanchez 1st, Declan O’Quinn 4th, Samuel Carroll

Calculator Applications (2nd place team)

10th grade: Leslie Hernandez 3rd, Lynndsie Phan 5th, Blakely Garrett 6th

11th grade: Karen Sandate 3rd, Araceli Salazar 5th, Heidi Martinez 6th

12th grade: Julian Chancellor 2nd, Alessandro Greco 3rd, Jamie Garrett 5th, Audrey Garrett 6th

Mathematics (2nd place team)

10th grade: Lynndsie Phan 4th, Leslie Hernandez 6th

11th grade: Karen Sandate 4th

12th grade: Julian Chancellor 2nd, Alessandro Greco 3rd, Jamie Garrett 4th

Journalism (2nd place team)

Copy Editing: Brissia Alvarez 1st, Jennifer Luna 2nd, Evelyn Hernandez 3rd

News Writing: Evelyn Hernandez 2nd, Abril Figueroa 6th

Editorial Writing: Brissia Alvarez 1st, Abril Figueroa 2nd, Maribel Ramirez 6th

Headline Writing: Wendy Valdez 1st, Brissia Alvarez 6th

Number Sense

10th grade: Evelyn Whisenhunt 4th, Zavian Loewen 6th

11th grade: Karen Sandate 3rd, Jayden Loewen 4th, Araceli Salazar 5th, Erick Bernardi 6th

12th grade: Julian Chancellor 4th, Aiyanna Brumfield 6th

Ready Writing Brissia Alvarez 3rd, Evelyn Hernandez 6th

Literary Criticism Abi Parthak 4th, Zoei Craig 6th

Next up for the MPHS UIL Academic team is the Lindale UIL Prep tournament at Lindale High School on January 24. The teams are preparing for the district meet at on March 26-28.

Pictured: members of the 2025-2026 MPHS UIL Academic teams