The UIL competition season is coming to a close, but first is the long-awaited State competition, in which only the best of the best will get a chance to tout their skills in front of the entire state on Tuesday, May 22. Three Cy Ranch students are heading to the State competition: senior Lindsay Collier is competing in Feature Writing, junior Nathan Miller is competing in Chemistry, and sophomore Daniel Benson is competing in Social Studies.

“There were a lot of really good writers in CFISD and the state of Texas,” Collier said. “To place consistently in the top three [in district and region] was really to hard achieve.”

Over a month ago, all three students participated in UIL Region, held at Cy Woods, during which many students all over the state went and showed off what they had to offer. These three students, however, rose to the top and exceeded all of the expectations. At Region, Collier placed first in Feature Writing, Miller placed first in Chemistry, and Benson placed third in Social Studies.

“Making state is a culmination of all my four years of high school,” Collier said. “I’ve been in journalism for four years and I’ve tried to get back to state, and it really means a lot to me.”

All three students are masters in their respective fields, with Collier being the editor of the Mustang Messenger, Benson being an avid history buff and member of Speech and Debate, and Miller being a dedicated chemistry student for years. All have worked countless hours studying and working on sharpening their skills.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Collier said. “Since my freshman year I’ve constantly been practicing my writing and trying to get better to the point where I was constantly thinking about my stories.”

With plenty of hours and experience under their belts, these students are the most qualified people to lead Cy Ranch at state. Not only are these people the best in their field, but hopefully will be proven best in the state.