Student
Awards
Among the hundreds of Plano ISD student awards in 2008-09 are listed just a few below. Plano ISD congratulates all student award winners!
 Shepton High School Sophomore Tess Michaels was among 15 finalists and one of two science researchers selected to be ambassadors of the BioGENEius international science competition. Ms. Michaels' research project “Diet and Longevity” earned fourth place at the contest and a $1,000 award.
Plano ISD students’ scores remained above the national average in every ranking class group on college entrance exams. The incomparable performance of Plano ISD students on these exams gives them a competitive edge for college admission and college success. Also, the participation rate of students in Advanced Placement/IB (International Baccalaureate) ranks among the highest in the state and nation.
Ninety senior students have achieved Semifinalist standing in the
2010 National Merit Scholarship Program based on their performance on
the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test. These academically gifted
students are among 16,000 of their peers nationwide who represent
less than one percent of high school seniors.
Plano ISD 2009 valedictorians and salutatorians were: Jananie Ramesh (val) and Tarang Kapoor (sal) of Plano East Senior High School; Jeremy Ying (val) and Shijia (Jessica) Liu (sal) of Plano Senior High School; and Amanda Jane Lu (val) and Dawn Zhau (sal), Plano West Senior High School.
Plano ISD students brought home more than 100 awards, including scholarships and special awards, at the Exxon Mobil Texas State Science and Engineering Fair. Performing extremely well against very competitive projects, both the junior (middle school) and senior (9-12th grade) students earned grand prize awards and numerous first place awards.
Plano Senior High School teammates won the 2008-09 Academic Decathlon regional competition for the sixth consecutive year, capturing 37 individual medals and 27 team medals. The team’s Maria Zhu was the meet’s overall leading scorer. Plano East placed second at the tournament, and Plano West also qualified to advance. All three teams competed at the state tournament.
 Visakha Suresh, 15, a junior at Plano West Senior High School, was awarded a $15,000 college scholarship in the Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the College Board. Miss Suresh was among 60 high school students selected out of more than 560 entrants nationwide to present their projects to a top panel of epidemiologists in Washington, D.C., and one of 12 National Finalists selected at the competition, in which nearly $500,000 in scholarships were awarded.
For the 12th consecutive year, a Plano ISD orchestra won the top prize in the Texas Music Educator’s Association (TMEA) 2009 Honor Orchestra Competition. There are four categories in the contest, and Plano ISD orchestras won three of the four categories. The three honor orchestras were invited to perform at the TMEA state convention. Also invited to perform at the convention were the Plano Senior High School A Capella Women's Chorus and Plano ISD's 62 all-state musicians.
Plano ISD elementary and secondary students swept their respective regional science fair competitions, capturing almost all grand prize awards and numerous 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards. Plano ISD students in grades 1-6 had a very successful showing at the North Dallas Regional Science Fair March 11-12 , with more than 103 entries, 60 awards and all six grand prize trophies. More than 800 Plano ISD students in grades 7-12 entered the Beal Bank Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair, earning all four grand prize awards in the junior division and three of the four grand prizes in the senior division.
Science researchers from Plano Senior High School, Plano East Senior High School, and Clark, Shepton and Williams high schools earned accolades at the 2009 International Science and Engineering Fair. Attending the event were 1,563 students from 50 nations. Students received top honors at regional and state science fairs to advance to the international fair. Students' qualification to attend the international fair is often a once in a life-time achievement.
 Plano ISD students captured 5 of 16 top awards in the 2008-09 State Geography Awareness Week Poster Contest, "Mapping the Americas: Exploring People, Places, Environment, Culture, Landscape," sponsored by the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education. The contest attracted 25,000 entries across the state of Texas.
Akhil Mulakala, Stinson Elementary School first grade student who won first place in the state geography poster contest, is pictured with his family and Texas Representative Brian McCall at the state capitol in Austin.
All three of the Plano ISD Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Battalions underwent detailed formal triennial inspections in 2009 by former military personnel, with all units earning the required points to be eligible for the coveted Gold Star. The designation of “Honor Unit with Distinction” is the highest possible designation for a JROTC unit and is indicated by the wearing of a gold star on the cadets’ uniform. This designation also means each school is in the top 10% of all Army JROTC units world-wide. Currently there are 1645 Army JROTC units in U.S. high schools.
Teammates from Renner, Rice and Wilson Middle Schools captured first place trophies for grades 8, 7 and 6, respectively, at the Plano ISD Middle School Whiz Quiz Championships. The five-member teams from each of Plano ISD’s 12 middle schools competed in current events about geography, literature and “this day in history.”
Students Edward Strecker, Shepton High School, and Jean Shiao, Plano Senior High School, advanced to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, following their award-winning oral research presentations delivered at the Texas symposium.
2008-09 Sports Achievements
 Soccer
- Plano Senior High School boys won the state championship, a record 6th state championship for Coach Bob Weir and the Wildcats.
- Plano Senior High School boys soccer team boasted the "Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year" - Dillon Powers.
- Plano East girls soccer won the district title for the second consecutive year.
Tennis
- Plano West Senior High School boys doubles team of Ben Guthrie & Matt Andrus won the doubles state championship. Plano West team tennis finished 3rd in the state at the state team tennis tournament.
Swimming
- Plano Senior High School boys swimming won the state 200 yd. and 400 yd. freestyle relays, and Paul Leonhardt won the state championship in the 100 yd. butterfly.
- Plano Senior High boys and girls swimming won district crowns with the boys finishing 2nd at the state meet.
- In the "Swimming World" magazine's “mythical” team rankings for the Boys National High School Championship, based on times swum during the 2008-09 school year, Paul Leonhardt tied for 3rd in the 200 yard freestyle and 11th in the 100 yard freestyle while also swimming the lead-off leg of both relays.
Baseball
- Plano and Plano West senior high school baseball teams were co-district champions and advanced in the playoffs.
- Plano East baseball made it to the third round of the baseball playoffs.
Softball
- Plano East Senior High School softball made it to the final four and finished third in the state.
- Plano Senior High School softball team won its 2nd consecutive district championship.
Football
- Plano Senior High School and Plano West Senior High School football teams highlighted their seasons with trips to the playoffs
Basketball
- Plano West girls and boys basketball won district championships.
Volleyball
- Plano West won the district champions and advanced to the regional tournament. Plano East advanced to the regional tournament and played in the finals for the right to go to the state tournament.
Track & Cross Country
- Plano West girls' and Plano girls' cross country advanced athletes to the state meet.
- Plano East girl’s track was district runner-up.
- At the state meet, Toddrick Allen, Plano East, won 2nd place in high jump; Rachel Johnson, Plano, placed 2nd in the 1600; and Sirron Warren, Plano, won 3rd in the 800.
Golf
- Plano West boys won the district title.
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