Last Saturday, twenty-one Clifton High School students who advanced from University
Interscholastic League (UIL) District competition held earlier in March, competed at the Region III-AAA Academic meet held on the campus of Blinn College at the Brenham campus. At the end of the competition, Clifton High School had six students advancing to the UIL State
Academic meet to be held in Austin on May 6th.
During the event, students from 37 school districts participated in 18 various academic events
with Clifton High School accumulating a total of 57 points, placing 10th overall. The 57 points
were also the most scored by any school in the17-3A Academic District.
The CHS four-member Current Issues and Events team is advancing to the UIL Academic State competition, ranked first as a team with senior Griffin Phillips earning the top score overall. Seth Payne, also a senior, took sixth place in the event. Other members of the team include sophomores Jocelyn Baker and Clay Kennedy.
Freshman Chelsea Canapi placed third in Ready Writing and is advancing as well.
Sophomore Riley Ball placed fourth in Headline Writing and will attend the state meet as an
alternate.
During the Lincoln-Douglas Debate contest, junior Morgan Stinnett advanced to quarterfinals.
In the Prose division, senior Sara Slater placed 6th.
And, Caitlin Crosby, a junior, placed 5th in Social Studies.
Other CHS regional competitors include: Peyton Gayle, Poetry; Hannelore Able, Prose; Sara
Slater, Prose; Jackson DeBorde and Abigail Mason, Informative Speaking; Elizabeth Scott and
Morgan Stinnett (alternate), Persuasive Speaking; and Caitlin Crosby, Cami Ivy and Will
Simmons; Social Studies. Journalism contestants were: Griffin Phillips, Copy Editing; Erica Li,
News Writing; Riley Ball, Feature Writing; and Kate Humphreys, Editorial Writing. Carlos
Villarreal also participated in the Science contest.
Clifton High School’s UIL coaches include: Coach Mario Villalpando, Current Issues and
Events; Teresa Culp, Ready Writing and Headline Writing; Taylor Carter, Poetry and Prose; Ted
Jones, Social Studies; Imilda Sarate, Science; Gaye Lynn Seawright, Journalism contests;
Anabel Murillo, Feature Writing; Fatima Cathcart, Spelling and Vocabulary; Charlene Conrad,
Number Sense; and Kim Benfer, Informative and Persuasive Speaking along with Josh Houser,
One Act Play Director.
Report written by Clifton High School UIL Academic Director Gaye Lynn Seawright