‘The Best of the Best’ Ready for the 2011 Academic State Meet

By Julianne Coyne, UIL Intern | Tuesday, May 03, 2011 10:53 AM

Competitors from Carrizo Springs High School show off their UIL shirts at the 2010 UIL Academic State Meet. It is tradition for many schools to design unique team shirts for the UIL academic competitions.

Photo by Jeanne Acton

 Almost 102,000 students competed at the district level in March to have the opportunity to become one of the approximately 2,700 participants who make it to the Academic State Meet.

“The Academic State Meet is always wonderful because kids are always excited and committed,” Academic Director Treva Dayton said. “We get to see the best of the best at their best.”

The 2011 Academic State Meet will be held May 5-7 at the University of Texas at Austin.

Cliff McCurdy, the UIL coordinator at Argyle High School, which has won the 3A Academic State Championship numerous times, said that the competition to get to the state level is always tough.

“There are many smart students and good coaches at the district, region and state levels,” McCurdy said. “Students also have to juggle sports, prom, college visits and other disruptions to their preparation for competitions. Trying to beat other talented students as well as dealing with numerous conflicts can be a challenge.”

McCurdy said that although the competition is difficult, it’s worthwhile for his students to participate because they acquire a knowledge base that will stick with them.

“When they go to college, they are more likely to remember all of the details from their high school classes,” McCurdy said. “They often study advanced material in their discipline which puts them ahead of most incoming freshmen when they enter college.”

For Dayton, the state meet has always been memorable.

“I remember all of my state tournaments, whether it was as a participant or a coach,” Dayton said. “I’m quite certain the students who come here will remember their experiences, too.”

The State Meet started as an event for debate, but quickly transformed to include other academic events.

Being the League’s oldest competition at the state level hasn’t kept the Academic State Meet from keeping up with changes in technology or education.

The meet has undergone a series of changes since it began in 1911.

A new contest was added to the meet almost every year for its first decade.

The Academic State Meet now encompasses 22 events, including One-Act Play. The Cross-Examination Debate State Meet was moved to March in 1991.

More recently, the changes have served to either keep up with current technologies or provide competitions in areas that weren’t already covered, Dayton said. Over the years, slide rule has grown into calculator and typewriting has turned into keyboarding, which is now computer applications.

“We’ve seen competitions like spelling have multiple transformations since its inception,” Dayton said. “It started as a spelling bee, then became a written test and is now a test for spelling, vocabulary and proofreading. The competitions change with students’ needs.”

However, some things about the state meet don’t change, Dayton said.

“Regardless of the schedule or year, it’s always an event that is full of anticipation,” Dayton said. “It’s always students who are winners just for making it here, whether they take home a medal or not.”