It has been another banner year for the Sudan High School Academic Team. Sudan took 54 students to the District Academic Meet, winning it for the fourth consecutive year. Sudan then took 36 students to the Regional Academic Meet.
After winning three consecutive Regional Academic Championships, the Sudan Academic Team had a bit of a rebuilding year. Sudan Academics graduated 10 seniors in 2025; however, this year the team won second place at regional and took 34 students to State in Austin.
Notably, Sudan garnered more points in District Academic than any other 2A school in the state.
Additionally, Sudan added another State Champion when Caden Edens won the championship in Computer Science. Not only did Edens win the State Championship in Computer Science, but the CS team, coached by Jonathan Robertson and including Edens, Bethani Magby, Kye Polk and Andres Melendez, won third place as a team. This was the 25th time that SHS has won District Computer Science.
In Number Sense, Caden Edens won second place. The team coached by Tonja Edens and made up of Caden, Kye Polk, Andres Melendez and Jeffrey Neufeld won second place.
In Poetry Interpretation, coached by Jonathan Robertson, Phillip Jones won fourth place.
Alissa Montes’ advancement for Congress marked Sudan’s thirteenth-consecutive year at State.
CX Debate Octofinalists Bethani Magby and Caden Edens and Angelina Godwin and Alissa Montes advanced for Sudan’s fourteenth consecutive District win.
The One-Act Play cast, coached by Chrissy Bass, Chelsea Lewis, Angie Robertson and Jonathan Robertson, received fourth place at the State competition. This is Sudan’s fourth appearance at state. The state-bound cast included Brooklyn Swart, Phillip Jones, Harper Pratt, Rebekah Jones, Case Cantu, Anneke Van De Pol, Alex Carson, Halen Ruiz, Rylan Dugan, Britton Bass, Lilly Garza, Rylan Willoughby, Krissy Harris, Sam Briseno, Analeeze De La Rosa, Melanie Gore, Carlito Montes, Maleki Kone, Athan Burnett and Ava Foster.
“While I am not retiring until the end of the 2026, 2027 school year, after 36 years of directing One-Act Play, this was my last show. It has been so much fun working with all of these crazy theater kids,” Sudan High School Academic Coordinator Jonathan Robertson said. “ Not to worry, we are leaving you in good hands. Chrissy Bass is taking over the Theatre and OAP job. She has previously directed at Littlefield High School and Muleshoe High School before coming to Sudan. She has already been an assistant director for two State One-Act Play appearances in Sudan.”
At the State competition, the Academic Team finished in eighth place out of over 200 2A schools.
This year’s senior academic students have won first place in the Regional Academic their Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years; and, they won second place this year. Twice they have scored more district points than any other 2A school in the state; and, their sophomore year the speech team scored more district points than any high school in the state 1A-6A. Their accolades are too numerous to list, but it is safe to say that these are incredible accomplishments.
Robertson would like to thank the students, parents, grandparents, teachers, support staff, administration, school board, alumni and all of the community members. It truly takes a village, and they feel so blessed.
In another notable accomplishment, two ex-speech team members, Arissa Moore and Davis Smith, graduated from Seattle University School of Law and the University of New Sudan High School UIL academics is looking forward to another banner year in the 2026 to 2027 school year.