Participating in the UIL State Meet were, from left, UIL and One-Act Play coach Elizabeth Dickison, Lometa students Cassidy Wienecke and Katlyn Delp, and debate coach Cheri Wienecke. The State UIL Academic Meet can be the playground of both heartbreak and glory, as dreams are dashed and fulfilled.

Competitors and coaches alike are left with an indelible mark on their memories.

For relatively few participants, the meet results in a gold medal. For even fewer students, the event may bring a rare repeat victory. At Lometa High School, bringing home the gold, as well as some other precious medals, is a reality.

Last weekend, Cassidy Wienecke and Katlyn Delp each captured gold medals, and Kylie Bradley was named to the One-Act Play competition’s All-Star Cast.

“This is the first time we have ever brought this many medals back from the state meet,” said Lometa Superintendent David Rice. “These girls did an outstanding job all year, and it paid off for them in the end. It is a tremendous feat to win back-to-back gold medals, but it happened for us this year.”

Cassidy Wienecke, left, was named an honorable mention state winner for UIL One-Act Play, while Kylie Bradley was named to the All-State One-Act Play team. They are pictured with Lometa coach Elizabeth Dickison. A Lometa High School junior and a defending state champion, Miss Wienecke took the championship title in Extemporaneous Persuasive Speaking.

She also received a fifth-place medal in poetry interpretation and, for the second consecutive year, was awarded Honorable Mention All-Star Cast for her performance in Lometa’s statequalifying production of “Kimberly Akimbo.” She is the daughter of Chris and Cheri Wienecke.

The speaker’s coach and One- Act Play director, Elizabeth Dickison, said Miss Wienecke’s wins had historical value for her school.

“Cassidy is the first student in Lometa school history to medal in three events -- one as the twotime state champion,” Mrs. Dickison said. “She is a very talented young lady with a bright future, and I am very proud of the hard work she has put into her events.”

Miss Delp, a sophomore, claimed the gold in the Lincoln Douglas Debate Saturday. Completing prelims with a 2-1 record, she would get the opportunity for a rematch in the finals.

After falling to Saratoga West Hardin in the second round, the Lometa debater’s loss was vindicated as she claimed the victory on a 3-0 vote from the judges.

Miss Delp is the daughter of Robert and Nora Delp. “Katlyn is a remarkable young woman,” Lometa debate coach Cheri Wienecke said. “While she is extremely talented, what makes her great is her work ethic. She puts hour upon hour into making her cases solid. Katlyn takes criticism well and puts every comment made to good use. Nowhere was that more evident [than] in the affirmative case she wrote herself, and then had every debate coach she knew critique.

“I couldn’t be prouder of her.

For Miss Bradley, a junior, the stage was the source of her medal gathering, as she was named to the State All-Star Cast for her role as Kimberly in “Kimberly Akimbo.” Portraying a teenager stricken with a disease that causes her to age rapidly, Miss Bradley was called upon to change her appearance and body movements from those of a vivacious young athlete to those of an elderly woman suffering from numerous age-related impairments.

Miss Bradley also placed eighth in ready writing. She is the daughter of Wendell and Julie Bradley.

“Kylie’s character was the central role around which the play revolved,” Mrs. Dickison said. “She did an excellent job portraying the depth of her character, and the judge at state recognized her efforts. She has done a great job this year.”

Lometa High School finished among the top 10 UIL academic teams in the state and claimed honors as the No. 2 speech team in Class 1A.