The UIL Academic Team competed at the Port Neches-Groves meet on Saturday, Feb. 10. There were multiple individual and team placements.

Akhil Tejani placed second in Informative Speaking. In Persuasive Speaking, Aman Tejani placed first, Kiera Figgins placed third and Chaz Hill placed fifth.

The Computer Science team made up of Nick Mugleston, Dajhaun Myles, Sukhjot Singh, Derrick Martin, and Lucas Russell placed first once again.

According to Computer Science coach Terry Morris, the varsity team scored a 1270, which is the highest score they have ever earned.

“I asked them at the beginning of the year what score they wanted to shoot for as a goal,” Morris said. “They told me 1200. So now that they will have achieved that they will be working even harder to get to 1300.”

Morris said after winning State last year, the team’s main goal this year has been to defend that title and win State again.

“This team is amazing but there are other teams that are very good as well so it will be fun to see how it plays out,” Morris said. “They have worked very hard to become as good as they are. Hopefully all that effort will pay off in May at State.”

In Current Events, Peyon Ellis placed sixth and in Ready Writing, Aman Tejani placed sixth.

In the Prose competition, Eli Ridout placed first while Ashlyn Ellis placed second and Caroline Guayante placed fourth. Dalton Teeler placed first in Poetry, while Lucas Ridout placed fourth.

“As a group we practice 2-6 hours per week, depending on the week,” Prose and Poetry coach Clark Reed said. “We read simultaneously to prepare them for distractions. Sometimes we splinter off and while I’m working with one individual, others are reading to each other and giving each other notes and performance times.”

The academic team’s next competition will be on March 3 in Sabine Pass. The coaches and competitors plan on taking skills they acquired at this meet to improve for their upcoming meets.

“I like seeing my students getting excited to move onto regionals from district,” coach Erin Tarver said. “Their excitement makes me happy.”