LFHS Earns Division I Rating at UIL State Festival

by Ronnie Zamora/LFCISD

Mariachi Nuevo Halcón earned a Superior Division I rating at the 2018 UIL State Mariachi Festival Pilot Saturday at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg Performing Arts Complex.

Of the 71 schools participating, only 16 earned Division I ratings, or 22.5 percent. The other 55 schools earned Division II or Division III ratings.

Thirty-three of the 71 schools participating were entered in the Class 6A Division. Only six other Class 6A schools earned Division I ratings – Edinburg North, La Joya, McAllen High, Grand Prairie High, Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, and Kyle Lehman.

All 18 members of Mariachi Nuevo Halcón were named to the Outstanding Performers list, and . The 18 Outstanding Performers, which is the unofficial equivalent to All-State selections, were more than any other school.

The LFHS/LFU Outstanding Performers were:

• Trumpet: Fabiola Ahuja, Luis Contreras, Yamila de la Rosa and Eduardo Martinez
• Violin: Aleida Alvarez, Miranda Cortez, Gabriela Gausin, Evelyn Reyes, Jacqueline Rostro, Elvira Salazar and Esmeralda Soto
• Vihuela: Rolando Cuevas and Yousi Martinez
• Guitar: Alan Gonzalez and Dulce Silva
• Guitarron: John Sossi and Jorge Suarez
• Guitarra de Golpe: Rolando Esquivel

Mariachi Nuevo Halcón was one of only two schools to have all of its performers be awarded the “Outstanding Performer” medal presented by UIL for superior musicianship and performance.

“It’s a distinction rarely awarded to an entire group,” said Hector Bermea, one of two Mariachi directors with Rafael Gausin. “To have all 18 members receive Outstanding Performer awards is the highest honor there is.”

Edcouch-Elsa High, which had the second-most Outstanding Performers with 16, was the other school to have its entire cast receive Outstanding Performer awards. No other school had more than nine.

The state competition was not for placements or ranking. It was an opportunity for the UIL to recognize outstanding individual and section performances from groups around the state.
March
On Feb. 10, LFHS won the Class 6A state championship at the Texas Association of Mariachi Educators (TAME) competition.

All there LFHS groups – Mariachi Halconcitos (Beginners), Mariachi Halcón Dorado (JV), and Mariachi Nuevo Halcón (Varsity) – received the highest ratings.

The varsity and JV groups will compete in the UTRGV Festiba mariachi competition March 3 in Edinburg.