Las Yescas Team Wins State Chess Championship

Las Yescas Elementary captured the Primary JV Division at the Texas Scholastic Chess Championships held March 28-29 in McAllen.

The Primary JV Division is made up students in grades Kindergarten through third grade. The Las Yescas team was made up of students in second and third grades.

Comprising the team in the photo above are (front row, left to right) Leonel Zavala, 5th overall; Jacob P. Garza, Jasmine Rivera, 12th overall; (top row) Clarissa Lozano, 7th overall); Raul Lopez and Clarissa Cantu, 17th overall.

Coaches were Javier Moran and Carol Solis.

Other Los Fresnos CISD schools participating were Lopez-Riggins Elementary and Villarreal Elementary.

Las Yescas Elementary fouth and fifth grade students placed second overall in the JV Division. They included Miguel Lozano (7th overall), Joseph Trevino (14th overall), Evelyn Cantu (Honorable Mention), Mireya Rodriguez (Honorable Mention), Tranquilino Salazar, Artemio Rodriguez, Robert Muñoz, and Thomas Perez.

Las Yescas Elementary K-1 Championship Division first graders placed 11th overall. Students included Landin Villanueva, Kiran Torres, June Woods, Hector Resendiz, Adrian Betancourt, and Xavier Argullin.

Villarreal Elementary’s K-3 JV Primary team placed sixth overall. Students included Ryan Torres in 14th place; Michael Brown, honorable mention; Andres Ortiz, Jose Ortiz, and Jose Sierra.

Lopez-Riggins Elementary’s K-5 Novice Division team placed fifth overall. Team members included Katherine Farrar in 17th place; Maria Ortiz, Brenna Castro, Sophia Parra, Micaela Vega, Megan Campbell, Roberta Torres, Victor Jasso, Paul Escamilla, Gazelle Betancourt, and Kayla Castillo.

Lopez-Riggins’ Primary JV team placed 14th overall. Team members included Oscar Ortega, Juan Salazar, Ryan Garcia and Liliana Larraga.