UIL Literary Criticism Team Impresses at State

​​​​​Our School’s literary criticism team participated in the UIL Academic State Competition this weekend. The 2022 team is the first literary criticism team to reach the state level in at least thirty years. Students Dayra Figueroa, Gracie Hurst, Alyssa Ransted, and Grace Rhodes make up this year’s team, with Mrs. Kirby as their coach. Though only Dayra Figueroa and Alyssa Ransted placed at state, all four students have made Wylie proud at every level. 

Literary Criticism is a prestigious and challenging event. The contest consists of a multiple choice test and three essays all about literary comprehension and history. Every year, two bodies of work are chosen (this year Macbeth and The Great Gatsby) around which the test and essays will be centered, though the quotations may include topics from all literary topics. The participants study year round to try to make the highest scores possible both individually and as a team, and the Wylie “lit critters” –as they have nicknamed themselves– excelled in doing just that.

  Their journey started at this year’s district competition where Figueroa and Ransted took first and second place respectively, with Rhodes bringing in fourth and the team placing first overall. Then, they moved to the regional level where Ransted placed third and Rhodes placed fourth. At Region, the team was able to achieve a combined score good enough for a prestigious first place out of all the teams.

With two overall wins to boast of, the team moved to the State level. There, Dayra Figueroa finished fourth individually. Alyssa Ransted also placed with a score good enough for sixth. Once all four student’s scores were combined, the team was only three points short of a top three finish. Though not the win they were hoping for, the results the team and individuals achieved are commendable and extraordinary.

Through countless hours of study and undeniable talent, Wylie High School’s literary criticism team soared above and beyond. Though expectations for our students are always high, Rhodes, Hurst, Figueroa, and Ransted managed to surpass them all. Their achievements are a testament to their dedication and the dedication of their teachers, and the height they have reached are a glimpse into the future of the Wylie literary criticism program.