SABINE, Texas (KLTV) – Sabine High School has taken home the victory in the Texas Science and Math Association Sweepstakes for the past 11 years.
Seventeen students competed at a state meet in San Antonio just last week.
“That first year they made it, and especially after 11 years, the bar stayed high,” senior student Garrett Woodall said. “I think we’ve slowly kept raising it more and more a little bit with how we’ve done.”
The science test consists of 60 randomly selected college-level questions on mystery-box topics of chemistry, physics, and biology.
“Science offers me a lot of challenges and problem solving. So, it really helps improve my problem-solving skills,” senior student Anna Tryon said. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the past couple of years. Before I came, we had a team that was the top team in UIL and in the past couple of years, we’ve gotten the top team at TSMCA state a couple times, and we’ve just had to work really hard to get there. It’s really cool to see all the hard work pay off.”
Chemistry Teacher and UIL Science Coach Amy Calhoun said the work required is no small feat.
“For them to know that they’re coming in and learning how to do three big college books worth of material could be very overwhelming. So, the drive to want it has to be there. And it is. And we push it,” Calhoun said.
Texas Math and Science Coordinator and UIL Coordinator Keith Taylor said he hopes the drive will trickle down to the next generation of scholars.
“I’ve worked hard to develop leaders, and the older kids do a good job of teaching the younger kids what it’s going to take to be good. Your turn’s coming when the team’s going to depend on you to do the instructing that you’ve seen today,” Taylor said.
Tryon has the same hope.
“I hope that they work hard just like everyone else has before, and that they see what has been done so far and that they carry on the legacy,” — said.
For both students and teachers alike, the future looks like a bright one.
“They’ve had to work a little harder. I’d have to had to want it a little more. And boy have they stepped up. And they are fighting the good fight and the hardware we’re bringing home shows it,” Calhoun said.
“I really look forward to the next level and seeing where they end up, because the scholarship opportunities are pretty incredible when you win. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to just get to be with these kids and get to know them and see what they do.”
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