Carthage High School students Caroline LaGrone and Brenden Selby have qualified for the 2025 UIL Cross-Examination (CX) State Tournament, which will be held at the University of Texas at Austin on March 21-22. The duo secured their spot at state with a second-place finish at the district competition.
Jacky Sigala and Shia Wallace placed third, earning the title of first state alternate, while Jose Fernandez and Camila Iniguez finished fourth as the second state alternates.
Caroline LaGrone was also awarded Top Speaker at the district competition.
"To say I’m incredibly proud of our team is a huge understatement," CHS Debate Coach Julissa DeJulian said. "This is my first year as a debate coach, and there is nothing like this group of students. I can’t think of any other group willing to give up more than half of their weekends to meet at 6 a.m., debate for hours and not return home until 9 or 10 p.m. They have achieved this entirely on their own, and I’m honored to witness how their hard work and dedication are paying off."
Carthage ISD congratulates these students on their outstanding achievement and wishes them the best of luck as they prepare for the state tournament. Their dedication and success bring pride to the Carthage community.
Photo left to right: Jose Fernandez, Brenden Selby, Caroline LaGrone, Jacky Sigala and Shia Wallace. Not pictured: Camila Iniguez