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We hope you join us for our annual Jar of Dirt Invitation A for fun and friendly competition in all academic and speech events on
Friday, January 16, 2026
Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Welcome to our spring UIL Invitation A tournament. We hope you join us for friendly competition as we kick off the spring competition season. Our goal is to support novice competitors and coaches in gaining confidence in UIL and NSDA events while at the same time offering strong competition that sharpens the skilled competitor. We have volunteers experienced with running UIL contests so you can spend time with your team, qualified contest directors, and superior judges. It is important to us that you enjoy and value your experience. This is also a TFA invitational qualifying tournament.
Test vendors include
UIL Invitation A
ASW (spelling)
Custom Sweepstakes team plaques for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places will be awarded for (1A - 4A) and (5A-6A).
Team medals will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place teams.
Individual medals will be awarded for 1st - 6th places.
TMSCA 1st - 6th place grade level winners will receive medals for number sense, mathematics, calculator, and science.
Divisions will be combined in all Speech/Debate events with medals for 1st - 6th place individuals and teams and Top Speaker plaque.
Top Journalism and Speech/Debate teams will also receive plaques.
Academic events will follow UIL rules and tabulation procedure; Speech/Debate events will follow TFA rules and tabulation procedures.
Pine Tree students will compete in this tournament (academics and speech/debate)
Please contact Terri Davis (tdavis@ptisd.org) for academic events and Melissa Witt (mwitt@ptisd.org) for speech and debate events.
Please bring a check or a purchase order. Checks can be made out to:
Pine Tree HS UIL Academics
c/o Lee Branson
PO BOX 5878
Longview, TX 75608
DEADLINES: We will need your full registration by 5pm, Wednesday, January 14 and judges by Friday, January 9. Please do not cross commit speech and debate judges. We understand that in smaller schools coaches must sponsor multiple events. Please do not register as a judge for any event if you are not able to grade the event/s.
Entry fees are as follows:
CX, PF Team: $30
LD: $25
DUO: $15
Speech/Interp Events: $10
Computer Science Hands-on: $20/team
All other events: $10
Missing Judge Fee: $200
Click here for offered events.
Click here for offered events.
The following academic and speech events will be offered:
Ready Writing
All Journalism Events
Spelling
Literary Criticism
LD, CX, PF, Congress
US Extemp, International Extemp, OO, NSDA Informative
Prose and Poetry, HI, DI, Duo, POI
Impromptu Speaking
Current Issues & Events
Social Studies
Mathematics
Number Sense
Science
Calculator
Accounting
Computer Applications
Computer Science Written and Hands-on
Click here for information about ready writing and journalism.
Click here for information about ready writing and journalism.
We provide both computers with Word and printers for all writing events and notebook paper for students who wish to handwrite. However, students are welcome to bring their own equipment.
Ready Writing entries will be capped at six (6) per school with additional students waitlisted. Every effort will be made to add waitlisted students to the contest during the week before the meet. We will open a 3rd lab if needed. Please email Terri Davis (tdavis@ptisd.org) with any special requests. We have hired experienced state judges for this contest. Schools are not required to provide a Ready Writing judge. There will be a post-judging meeting at 1 pm with all coaches and competitors with the state judges to explain how the rubric and new judging procedures are applied.
Journalism entries will be capped at six (6) per school with additional students waitlisted. Every effort will be made to add waitlisted students to the contest during the week before the meet. Please email Terri Davis (tdavis@ptisd.org) with any special requests. Susan Duncan, retired coach of state winners, former state judge, and current district and region judge and contest manager will serve as the Contest Director.
Click here for spelling procedures.
Click here for spelling procedures.
The pronouncer will be Belinda Walinta. The test will be from ASW. Contest Director will be Martha Dalby.
Contact Terri Davis (tdavis@ptisd.org) if you have any questions.
Click here for speech and debate procedures.
Click here for speech and debate procedures.
For debate, you must have 1 judge for every 4 LD & PF teams and 2 CX teams, or part thereof. For Interp, Speech, and Writing Events, you must provide 1 judge for every 6 participants or part thereof. We prefer judges over fees . AT MINIMUM, speech/debate team coaches MUST serve as judges.
CX DEBATE: Resolved: The United States federal government should establish national health insurance in the United States.
LD DEBATE: Spring 2027 UIL resolution
PF Debate: January 2027 PF resolution
Congress: TFA Spring 2027 Docket
INTERP: Reader's Choice
Missing judge fee is set at $200.
Contact Melissa Witt (mwitt@ptisd.org) if you have any questions.
Click here for computer science procedures.
Click here for computer science procedures.
Please bring power cords in addition to your computers. Both the written test and programming will take place Saturday. Contact Terri Davis (tdavis@ptisd.org) if you have any questions.
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