SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas — Sulphur Springs High School claimed the 2026 UIL 4A Academic State Championship after students earned multiple individual and team titles across a wide range of competitions at the state meet. The competition was held on May 18-19 in Austin.
The championship capped off a dominant performance by the Wildcats’ UIL Academics Team, which brought home state titles in journalism, spelling, social studies, and multiple individual events.
Theatrical Design
Elizabeth Green captured a state championship in Theatrical Design under coach Hagen Hunt.
Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Contest
Sulphur Springs students also excelled in the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay Contest:
- Elizabeth Green — 2nd Place
- Lindsey Hayes — 3rd Place
- Isabella Chamness — 4th Place
- Oakley Weiss — 5th Place
- Ethan Preas — Finalist
The team was coached by Gail Herman.
Spelling
The Wildcats earned another state championship in spelling.
Individual placements included:
- Brooks Burgin — State Champion
- Abigail Bautista — 2nd Place
- Charlie Knechtel — 5th Place
- Kimberly Negrete — 5th Place
Coach Gail Herman led the championship team.
Social Studies
Sulphur Springs also won the state title in Social Studies.
Placements included:
- Grayson Wall — 2nd Place
- Jessica Reed — 4th Place
- Kannon Gibson — 5th Place
- Isaac Stanley — Team Member
The team was coached by Madison Millsap.
Journalism Team Claims State Championship
The school’s journalism team also captured a state championship with strong finishes across multiple writing and editing contests.
News Writing
- Jessica Reed — 4th Place
Feature Writing
- Anderson Grimes — 6th Place
Editorial Writing
- Abigail Bautista — State Champion
Headline Writing
- Anderson Grimes — 2nd Place
Copy Editing
- Justin Chen — 2nd Place
- Abigail Bautista — 3rd Place
The journalism team was coached by Gail Herman and Madison Millsap.
Current Issues and Events
Sulphur Springs earned third place as a team in Current Issues and Events.
Individual placements included:
- Abigail Bautista — 2nd Place
- Jason Prom — 6th Place
- Justin Chen — Team Member
- James McCoy — Team Member
Coach Madison Millsap led the team.
Additional State Champions
Several Wildcats also earned individual state championships in other events.
Ready Writing
- Jessica Reed — State Champion
Literary Criticism
- Anthony Small — State Champion
Other Literary Criticism team members included:
- Julie Ann McCoy
- Brooks Burgin
- Dylan McKinney
The Literary Criticism team finished second overall under coach Gail Herman.
Poetry Interpretation
- Nathan Bilyeu — 2nd Place
Coach Lesha Woodard led the Poetry Interpretation program.
School officials praised the students for their dedication, preparation, and commitment throughout the UIL season, calling the state championship a reflection of the team’s hard work and academic excellence.
