By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
The University Interscholastic League announced the six winners of the 2015-16 UIL Lone Star Cup on Friday and Vandegrift won its second consecutive UIL Lone Star Cup in conference 5A.
“Winning the 5A UIL Lone Star cup for the 2nd year in a row is a historic accomplishment for a high school that only opened in 2009,” said Charlie Little, principal of VHS. “I am extremely proud of all of the academic, fine arts and athletic coaches and their students for all of the hard work they put in to achieve this goal.”
The UIL Lone Star Cup is an award that recognizes the best overall athletic, fine arts and academic programs in Texas.
Vandegrift won the cup with 115 points with state championships in boys swimming and boys golf. The Vipers also earned points with state runner-up finishes in marching band, girls golf and team tennis and its academics team finishing fifth overall at state. VHS also tallied points in boys and girls soccer, volleyball, football and boys basketball.
This year VHS reached 21 points higher than its score last year of 94.
“I am especially excited to see how our academic programs contributed to the final push to seal the win over Grapevine HS by placing 5th in state,” Little said. This was the first time VHS had placed as a team in the academic state competition.
Two other high schools in Leander ISD earned top-15 finishes, with Vista Ridge High School totaling 64 points for eighth place and Cedar Park High School tying for 15th place with 52 points.
Westlake wins 6A
With state championships in girls swimming and diving and state runners-up in football, boys swimming and diving and girls golf, Austin Westlake claimed the Conference 6A UIL Lone Star Cup. The Chaparrals also earned points with a third place finish at state in boys golf, a regional finalist in boys basketball and district championship in academics. Austin Westlake last won the UIL Lone Star Cup in 2002 in Conference 5A.
Vandegrift moves to 6A competition next year which will mean bigger schools and tougher competition, including Westlake.
“I know we will rise to this new level of competition and continue to build on the Vandegrift tradition of hard work and fearless competitive nature that makes our staff and students truly ‘Second to None’,” Little said.
Little encourages the entire VHS community to come out to the VHS Homecoming Parade on Oct. 5 for the official cup presentation.
More UIL winners
Reigning marching band state champions, Argyle added state titles in volleyball, girls basketball and boys golf on the way to another Conference 4A UIL Lone Star Cup victory. Also repeating as UIL Lone Star Cup champions, Brock claimed victory in Conference 3A after a state championship in boys golf and their first-ever state championship in football. Returning to the top if its class, Windthorst won its sixth overall UIL Lone Star Cup by scoring 60 points in Conference 2A. Happy secured its first Conference 1A UIL Lone Star Cup