For the second year in a row, Vandegrift claimed the UIL Lone Star Cup in the 5A classification. This prestigious award was presented to superintendent Dan Troxell, principal Charlie Little, and athletic director Drew Sanders at the pep rally on Wednesday night.

“Obviously we’re really excited,” Little said. “It just confirms what happened the year before, with great teachers, coaches and sponsors all working together to do the best they can do and it really paid off.”

UIL representatives Brad Kent, UIL Director of Music, and Tracy Neely, UIL Assistant Athletic Director, presented the cup on behalf of UIL.

“We rotate the presentation,” Kent said. “Some of the athletic department does some, I do a few, and our academic department does some.”

The Lone Star Cup is awarded to schools that get the most points in their classification (4A, 5A, etc.) based on UIL’s set criteria in academics, athletics and fine arts championships.

According to the final standings of the 2016 Lone Star Cup, Vandegrift won with 115 points, four ahead of the next competitor, Grapevine High School.

This cup is unlike many other awards that the school has received.

“The thing that’s different about the Lone Star Cup,” Charlie Little said, “is that it is everything UIL, you can’t just be good at one thing, you have to be good at academics, fine arts and athletics. That’s what sets it apart and you’re comparing it to all the other schools at your level, so all the 5A schools.”

Winning the cup, not just once, but twice, has many benefits for the school community.

“I think it’s a great talking point for the staff about how important everything they do is because everybody that sponsors or does academics or anything all contributes to that goal,” Little said. “It’s exciting as a talking point for the community to see that it’s a really healthy, well-rounded school.”

Now that Vandegrift has moved to the 6A classification, the competition has gotten bigger- literally.

“Some schools are as big as 5000 students,” Little said. “In certain sports, the size of the school gives you an advantage, in certain sports it doesn’t. We’ll be great in most sports, just like we always have been.”