Academic UIL team at Nacogdoches High School

Four Nacogdoches High School students are headed to the state competition in Academic UIL.

Mark Sifuentes is a regional champion in News Writing, JaBrandon Chatman finished third at regionals and is advancing in Prose Speaking, Heidi Nicholas finished third at regionals and is advancing in Feature Writing, and Justin Phillips finished third at regionals and is advancing in Current Events.

Justin is the defending Class 5A state champion in Current Events.

The regional competition was held at Walnut Grove High School in Prosper on April 25-26. The Class 5A state meet will take place May 19-20 at the University of Texas in Austin.

JaBrandon Chatman

JaBrandon Chatman

Justin Phillips

Justin Phillips

Heidi Nicholas and Mark Sifuentes

Heidi Nicholas (left) and Mark Sifuentes

District Academic UIL Results

Current events are again at the top for Nacogdoches High School’s Academic UIL team. The squad of Justin Phillips, Charlie Hodges, Robyn Chandler-Ezell and Ezra Gregory swept to another district title. Phillips won the individual standings.

Other first place winners for NHS include JaBrandon Chatman in prose interpretation, Phillips also in informative speaking and Jean Choi in persuasive speaking. 

This year’s district for Academic UIL is nearly twice as large as a year ago with a total of nine schools. Nacogdoches finished second overall in district sweepstakes behind Hallsville.

Individual and team results for NHS:

1st Place Prose Interpretation, JaBrandon Chatman, Regionals advancement

1st Place Informative Speaking, Justin Phillips, Regionals advancement

1st Place Persuasive Speaking, Jean Choi, Regionals advancement

3rd Place Informative Speaking, JaBrandon Chatman, Regionals advancement

4th Place Prose Interpretation, Jhanay Henry

4th Place Poetry Interpretation, Cassie Tieman

4th Place Persuasive Speaking, Za'Tayvious Miller

6th Place Lincoln Douglas Debate, Malachi Anderson

6th Place Prose Interpretation, Kylee Vose

6th Place Poetry Interpretation, Lynsie Wiebold


2nd Place News Writing, Mark Sifuentes, Regionals advancement

4th Place Feature Writing, Heidi Nicholas, Advancing Regionals alternate

5th Place Ready Writing, Malachi Anderson

5th Place Copy Editing, Rees Runnels

5th Place News Writing, Heidi Nicholas

5th Place Editorial Writing, Samantha Torres

6th Place Feature Writing, Bridget Autrey


1st Place Current Events, Justin Phillips, Regionals advancement

1st Place Current Events Team, Justin Phillips, Charlie Hodge, Robyn Chandler-Ezell, Ezra Gregory, Regionals advancement

3rd Place Number Sense, Olivia Ajero, Regionals advancement

5th Place Current Events, Charlie Hodge

5th Place Literary Criticism, Rees Runnels

6th Place Social Studies, Justin Phillips

Academic UIL students at Nacogdoches High School

Front Row: Lillian Nicholas, Isabella Castillo, Joselyn Gonzalez, Rees Runnels, Samantha Torres Back Row: Heidi Nicholas, Mark Sifuentes, DeLayna Adams, Irvin Cruz, Phoebe Jaramillo, Bridget Autrey

Academic UIL students at Nacogdoches High School

Speech Team – First Row: Coach Veronica York, Jhanay Henry, Lynsie Wiebold, ZaTayvious Miller, Cassie Tieman, Kylee Vose, Coach Jazmin Pratscher; Second Row:  Isabella Castillo, Coach Kristin Thomas, JaBrandon Chatman, Malachi Anderson, Justin Phillips, Aaron Smith, Ezra Gregory, Jean Choi, Phoebe Jaramillo

Academic UIL students at Nacogdoches High School

Current Events – Ezra Gregory, Audrey McDermott, Ella Ainsworth, Robyn Chandler-Ezell, Gabi Salvador – Elyse Meyer (Coach), Charlie Hodge, Justin Phillips.

Academic UIL students at Nacogdoches High School

Social Studies – Joseph Buckler (coach), Robyn Chandler-Ezell, Audrey McDermott, Ella Ainsworth, Justin Phillips.

Academic UIL students at Nacogdoches High School

Math Teams – Joselyn Gonzalez, Becky Martin (coach), Olivia Ajero, Sonia Ocampo, Darko Pantiuk, Justin Phillips, Toby Barugh

Academic UIL students at Nacogdoches High School

Literary Criticism – David Morones, Geovani Centeno, Dawn Pierce (coach), Rees Runnels

Academic UIL students at Nacogdoches High School

One-Act Play – Back row, from left: Senior Bryan Martinez, Junior William Vermulen, Senior Isabelle Clay, Senior Jacob Norman, Sophomore Ian Lawrence, Sophomore Grady Hart, Freshman Hadley Harris.

Front Row, from left: Junior Katelyn Rocha, Sophomore Peyton Lewis, Senior Maite Cano, Junior Lourdes Leon, Senior Rees Runnells, Junior Grayson Rhoden, Junior Melanie Garcia, Freshman Sylvia Jones.

Not Pictured: Senior Kyler Bowden, Senior Riley Hall, Director Victoria Perry, Assistant Director Grace Montes.