Two from SBHS advance to state UIL

By FAITH HUFFMAN | News-Telegram News Editor

Apr. 20, 2007 - Two Sulphur Bluff High School students have advanced to the state University Interscholastic League meet.

Staff Photo by Angela Pitts

Fatema Basrai (right), a Sulphur Bluff junior, and Summer Stailey, a sophomore, will compete at the state UIL contest.

Fatema Basrai, a junior, earned the right to compete in literary criticism at the state meet. She finished first in district, then second at the regional contest last weekend in Nacogdoches.

Summer Stailey, a sophomore, will also be competing at the state UIL contest in poetry. She took a first place win at district, then a third place finish at the regional meet. She also advanced to regionals after placing third in persuasive speaking at the district level.

The state meet will be held in Austin May 4-5.

Twenty-four members of Sulphur Bluff High School's Academic UIL team advanced to the regional contest after earning first through third place in the March 30 district meet. The students racked up 343 points, just nine shy of sweepstakes-winning Savoy High School at the district meet.

Several other students advanced to the regional meet after receiving high rankings at the district meet, including three teams.

�In addition to Basrai, the top-ranked district literary criticism team included Sarah Williams and Jameson Granack. Williams also advanced to region by placing second in computer applications, and placed fourth individually in literary criticism at district. Granack was also placed fourth in Lincoln Douglas debate at district.

The first place calculator application team at district included Everette Wilder, Danielle Jordan, Ashley Bryant and Ginger Thompson. Wilder placed first and Jordan second in dividually in the calculator cotnest.

Marvin Bellows, Michael Hale, Jackie Blake, Trey Henderson, Ryan Moore and Jeremy Hatfield earned first place in science at district. Bellows placed first, and Hale and Blake tied for sixth. Bellows also advanced to the regional contest by placing first in current issues. Henderson also recognized for placing sixth in number sense.

Other students advancing to the regional meet by placing first through third at district included James Woolsey, first place in prose; Zach Hope, second in informative speaking and third in editorial writing; Joshua Adair, second spelling; Jessica Robinson, third in headline writing; Jacob Stahl, second in Lincoln Douglas debate; Elizabeth McDonald, second in persuasive speaking; and Minerva Marqez, second in poetry.

Also placing at the district meet were Joshua Formoso, fourth place in both computer science and number sense; Stephanie Clanton, fourth in feature writing and sixth in news writing; Jessica Robinson, fourth in  spelling; Marisa Vaughn, fifth place poetry; and Kyle Keahey, fourth in  prose.

The SBHS district UIL team also included Jeff Anderson, Johnathon Andrews, Charlie Carns, Joshua Clanton, Crystal Clem, Cole Fielden, Royce Naylor and Keri Tubb.

Coaches for the UIL group included Olivia Barnett, Judy Bunch, Amy Hollenshead, Joyce Major, Chris Nichols, Amanda Thompson, Charles Wright and Gwen Crutcher.