ARGYLE — The Argyle High School UIL academic team claimed its third state title in five years at the early May meet.

Nine Argyle students — five seniors, three juniors and one freshman — competed in the University Interscholastic League State Academic Meet at the University of Texas, and they are very pleased with their accomplishment.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

The Argyle High School academic team won the class 3A state academic meet held at the University of Texas. Members of the team are front row from left, Thomas Quintana, Kevin Wilkerson, Nick Strelke and Robbie Ehlers; back row from left, Kristen Gill, Tyler Kass and Phillip Fullinghim. Also on the team are Erik Katzen and Tyler Kass.

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When Argyle High was still a class 2A school, the UIL academic team won state in 2004 and 2006. This is the first year for Argyle to take the championship as a 3A school.

Physics and calculus teacher Cliff McCurdy, who helps coach the students, said the team members are “smart kids who really enjoy it.”

“They’re willing to spend enough time with it to be really, really good,” he said.

Senior Robbie Ehlers, who placed third individually at state in calculator applications, felt especially validated about their win.

This was his first year at state, and he said he almost didn’t make the academic team for the district meet and ended up helping the team advance to regionals.

“I was pretty happy with it [the state win]. I wasn’t really expected to do much when I placed … and ended up placing highest,” Ehlers said.

Ehlers, who’s headed to the University of Illinois, said he had the most points on the team for the year.

Freshman Nick Strelke said his first advance to state with the high school academic team will help in the next few years.

He’s gotten used to the testing environment at state, and now he can help others know what to expect, he said.

Strelke, who competed in calculator applications and mathematics, also participated in the number sense competition, where he had to figure the answers in his head to 80 math questions in 10 minutes, without scratch paper or a calculator.

The team took practice tests for number sense and then worked through each problem to go over the shortcuts to the answers, he said.

Junior Kristen Gill, who competed in computer applications, was the only girl on the team.

While she said it was weird being around all the guys, she found the trip fun.

“It was really exciting. It was a neat experience,” Gill said.

In addition to practice tests, she prepared by working with computer programs to get used to shortcuts.

This was also senior Kevin Wilkerson’s first time to be on the UIL academic team.

His older brother encouraged him to participate by telling him how beneficial his UIL experience is to him in college.

At state, Wilkerson, who’s headed to UT, competed in science, which focused on biology, physics and chemistry.

His best topic was biology, but he wishes he could have done better in physics.

Last year, the science team was the only one from Argyle that didn’t take state, and this year it took first place, Wilkerson said.

“The [academic] team winning state was the icing on the cake,” he said.

Senior Phillip Fullingim, who was on the academic team last year, said this was his first time to make it to state.

He competed in math and number sense at state, and while he did better in the math competition, he felt his number sense score helped the team the most.

Fullingim, who’s headed to Harding University in Arkansas, attributes that success to luck, while admitting: “I’ve always been good at math.”

Other members on the team are Thomas Quintana, Erik Katzen, David Graf and Tyler Kass.

AMY DODD THOMPSON can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is athompson@dentonrc.com .