MPISD School Foundation hosts crawfish boil fundraiser
Mount Pleasant High School soccer coach Jason Mayfield earned his 400th win on Tuesday, March 26, in the bi-district playoff game vs. Lufkin. The Tigers defeated Lufkin 4-0 and have moved on to round two of the UIL 5A playoffs. They will play Sherman at Paris High School at 2:30 pm on Friday, March 29.
The MPHS Goin’ Gold Band Wind Ensemble
Contact: Kelly Cowan
Mount Pleasant High School Goin’ Gold Band Earns Sweepstakes
The Mount Pleasant High School Goin’ Gold Band earned a sweepstakes rating at the UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest held on March 27 in the Mount Pleasant High School Performing Arts Complex. The band played three pieces on stage, including Big Cage March by King, Benediction by Stevens, and Danse Perpetuo by Nitsch, and received all Ones from the judges. They moved to the band hall from the stage performance, sight read, and received all Ones. The stage and sight-reading ratings, combined with their marching ratings from earlier in the year, gave them a Sweepstakes award for the 2024 year. Dr. Theodus Luckett III directs the Goin’ Gold Band, and Karen Luckett, Jamey Sterrett, Alicia Hargett, Brian Bass, and Sheri Sullivan assist.
Zoe Newman (center) signs her letter of intent with (L to R) brother Zachary Newman, dad Marty Newman, mom Rhonda Newman, MSU Saxophone Instructor Rafael Powell, and MSU Associate Professor and MPHS alum Dr. Jennifer Bohannon McGowen
MPHS senior signs to play in Midwestern State University Band
In the band hall in front of the Goin’ Gold Band, her family, and friends, Mount Pleasant High School senior Zoë Newman signed a letter of intent to play saxophone in the Golden Thunder Marching Band at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. Newman plans to major in Music Education and minor in English to become a band director.
Newman has been a four-year member of the MPISD band program, where she has played saxophone. She is a two-year member of the All-Region band and has qualified for the UIL State Solo and Ensemble competition for four years in a row. She is the daughter of Marty and Rhonda Newman.
Ready Writing coach Gabrielle Robbins (left) and MPHS senior Makayla Spigner, with her Distinguished Writer award
UIL Math team members (L to R) Julian Chancellor, Luke Thurman, Clinton DeBord, Nathaniel Martinez, Yahaira Pina
UIL Ready Writing, Current Events, and Spelling teams
MPHS UIL teams compete in the last meets before the district
Four Mount Pleasant High School UIL Academic teams competed last weekend in a final push before the district meet. The UIL Spelling, Current Events, and Ready Writing teams headed to Carthage. In contrast, the UIL Math and Calculator Application teams spent the weekend in San Antonio at the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association State Meet.
In Carthage, first place, the Spelling team of Sophie Greco, Brissia Alvarez, Karen Hernandez, and Jenny Luna. The Literary Criticism team of Luna, Alvarez, Natalia Aspeitia, Chelsea Mendoza, and Abril Figueroa also placed first. In Ready Writing, the State Director ranked all three MPHS competitors in the top six. He awarded MPHS senior Makayla Spigner the Distinguished Writer award for being the top writer of all the schools, both large and small.
In San Antonio, the 5A division featured 22 teams from across Texas. The Nathaniel Martinez, Luke Thurman, Yahaira Piña, and Clinton DeBord team placed 4th in 5A Mathematics and 5th in 5A Calculator Applications.
Individual results are as follows:
- Spelling—Sophie Greco 1st, Brissia Alvarez 3rd, Jenny Luna 5th
- Current Events—Natalia Aspeitia 1st, Jenny Luna 3rd
- Ready Writing—Makayla Spigner 1st, Brissia Alvarez 2nd, Sophie Greco 5th
- Literary Criticism—Jenny Luna 1st, Natalia Aspeitia 4th, Chelsea Mendoza 5th, Brissia Alvarez 6th
- Mathematics – 11th grade: Luke Thurman 7th, Yahaira Piña 10th / 12th grade: Nathaniel Martinez 5th
- Calculator- 10th grade: Julian Chancellor 9th / 11th grade: Yahaira Piña 6th, Luke Thurman 8th / 12th grade: Nathaniel Martinez 5th
The 15-5A district academic meet starts with Speech and Debate events on Wednesday, April 3, at the Region VIII ESC and all other educational events on Saturday, April 6, in Hallsville.