Texas High hosted a local UIL competition Feb. 2. Students participated in a myriad of events from spelling to number sense to accounting, bringing home an overall second place win.

“I feel like we established ourselves well at this meet as a team,” sophomore Selwin George said. “We still have a ways to go to get to district and regionals.”

While many students competed to learn more about their category, others participated to improve their learning habits and skills.

“I decided to compete because I am interested in math and science,” George said. “I felt that this was a good opportunity for me to find mentors that could help me further my education.”

Junior Bailey Vaughan competed in spelling to help improve her vocabulary and word skills.

“It really helped expand my vocabulary and I think it will help me on the ACT,” Vaughan said. “I love word power.”

The Texas High team placed second overall out of 16 schools and won a multitude of individual and team awards.

The results are as follows:

Accounting: Tanner Parrott, fourth place; Ashley Ritchie, fifth place; second place team: Tanner Parrott, Ashley Ritchie, Jessica Johnston.

LD Debate: JB Wells, third place; Josh Robinson, sixth place.

Informative Speaking: JB Wells, first place; Robert Hoover, second place.

Persuasive Speaking: Riden Reiter, first place; Paige Oliver, second place.

Speech/Debate first place team: JB Wells, Josh Robinson, Robert Hoover, Riden Reiter, Paige Oliver

Current Issues and Events: Chris Keith, first place; D.J. Mack, second place; Nick Sehy, fourth place. First place team: Chris Keith, D.J. Mack, Nick Sehy.

Editorial Writing: Taylor Potter, second place; Sydney Schoen, third place.

Feature Writing: Taylor Potter, second place; Sydney Schoen, third.

Headline Writing: Morgan Williams, first place; Taylor Potter, fifth,

News Writing: Sydney Schoen, first place; Taylor Potter, second place.

Journalism first place team: Taylor Potter, Sydney Schoen, Morgan Williams, D.J. Mack.

Literary Criticism: Cortlandt Bursey-Reese, sixth place; second place team: Courtlandt Bursey-Reese, Alex Walker, Heather Lanier.

Mathematics: J.R. Portwood, third place.

Number Sense: Selwin George, third place.

Science: Selwin George, first place.

Social Studies: Nick Sehy, sixth place.

Spelling and Vocabulary: Macy Shirley, fifth place; second place team: Macy Shirley, Bailey Vaughan, Aimee Tran, Linnette Westley.