| Lake Travis High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 3324 Ranch Road 620 S. Austin, Texas, 78738 United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1981 |
| Principal | Kimberley Brents |
| Grades | 9 through 12 |
| Enrollment | 2,232[1] |
| Color(s) | Red, Black, Silver and White |
| Mascot | Cavaliers |
| Information | 512-533-6100 |
| Website | http://www.ltisdschools.org/lths/site/default.asp |
Lake Travis High School, is rated by the Texas Education Agency as an Exemplary secondary.[2] The preparatory is located approximately 20 miles west of Austin, Texas and has been ranked by Newsweek as one of "America’s Best High Schools."[3] LTHS serves students in grades nine through twelve who live in southwest Travis County and is part of the Lake Travis Independent School District. LTHS and LTISD were both established in 1981 after splitting from the Dripping Springs Independent School District.[4] The current high school was built in 1988. Because of major growth in the Austin Metropolitan Area, the high school has undergone several expansion projects. In February of 2012 the UIL will reclassify high schools, it is expected that they will move LTHS from the 4A to the 5A conference.
Lake Travis HS features distinguished programs in athletics and the arts. The highly acclaimed, award-winning Cavalier Band has won numerous awards and continues to have success. The varsity football team has won the Texas, UIL 4A Conference State Championship in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The first football team in Texas to accomplish this feat.[5] In 2010 and 2011, the Lady Cav Volleyball Team, were also winners of the Texas 4A UIL State Championship. In 2010 the boys varsity golf team won another 4A state title for Lake Travis High School. The orchestra, choir, speech/debate, and theater arts programs have also won University Interscholastic League licensed events. In 2011, the Lady Cavs were ranked the number one high school volleyball team in the nation and finished with a 50-0 record.[6] The cheerleading squad has also garnered national honors. In 2008 they won the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) National Championship.[7]
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Lake Travis High School has an array of academically rigorous courses including 25 Advanced Placement (AP) courses and 30 Pre-AP/Honors courses.[8] The school also offers students excellent opportunities to explore future career opportunities through elective courses. Elective courses are housed within the Institutes of Study, a comprehensive academic program that allows students to pursue an area of study in depth.The six Institutes of Study are: Institute of Advanced Sciences & Medicine, Institute of Business, Finance & Marketing, Institute of Veterinary & Agricultural Science, Institute of Humanities, Technology & Communications, Institute of Math, Engineering & Architecture, and the Institute of Fine Arts. A special education program is also available to meet the needs of identified students.[9]
As of the 2009-2010 school year, Lake Travis HS's racial diversity is 79.2% White, 15.1% Hispanic, 3.9% Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.6% Black, and 0.3% Native American.[10] The Texas Education Agency also reports the diversity of staff, in 2009-10 faculty racial composition was 94% White, 4.4% Hispanic, 0.8% African American, and 0.8% Asian/Pacific Islander. The average SAT scores for the Class of 2010 was 1674 which beat the state average of 1462 and the national average of 1509.[11]
In 2011, Lake Travis High School became the first football program in Texas to have won five straight state championships. The Cavalier football dynasty began with the arrival of Jeff Dicus in 2003. From 2001-2002, LT had combined a record of 1-19 (under Charlie Sadler).[12] LT’s first playoff appearance came in 2000 under Jim Shewmake, LT that year went 6-6, and won the bi-district championship. LT's overall record since its inaugural season in 1982 until the arrival of Dicus in 2003 stood at 79 wins, 1 draw, and 132 defeats.[13] In his first year, Dicus went 3-7, but quickly turned things around. The following year, in 2004, Dicus stunned the Austin community; LT had won its first outright district title with a sophomore, Todd Reesing, at quarterback. During his tenure Reesing went 27-7 winning district in 2005 and 2006.[14] In the 2007 season, Lake Travis led by junior quarterback Garrett Gilbert, won its first ever football state championship. The Cavs beat Highland Park HS 36-34, the Cavaliers ended that season with a final record of 15-1. Coach Jeff Dicus, 45-15 at LT, left after that championship season to take over as the head coach at 5A Duncanville High School. His successor was Chad Morris, who was 135-25 in his previous 14 years as a head coach, having won the Class 4A-Division I State Championship at Bay City High School in 2000. Morris coached Lake Travis for the 2008 and 2009 seasons, leading them to two state championships and an undefeated 32-0 record. In 2008 LT led by senior quarterback Garrett Gilbert defeated Longview 48-23 in the championship game. In 2009, Michael Brewer replaced the graduated Gilbert at quarterback. Brewer led LT to another undefeated season, once again beating Longview (24-17) in the 2009 Texas 4A Championship Game. At the end of 2009, Chad Morris left Lake Travis to accept the Offensive Coordinator position at the University of Tulsa.[15]
Lake Travis held a nationwide job search in order to find Morris's replacement. In the end LT decided that it would be wise to promote from within.[16] Hank Carter, who had been Morris's Defensive Coordinator, was eventually selected. Many Cavalier fans were upset with this decision. Matters were made even worse when LT had its 48 game win streak snapped against Aledo. LT lost a second time to Cedar Park, a loss that would cost them the district championship. Things were looking bleak in 2010 even though they had an all-star line up; Texas Tech pledge Michael Brewer, future Texas Longhorn offensive tackle Taylor Doyle, future Tulsa Golden Hurricane wide receiver Conner Floyd, junior wide receiver Griffin Gilbert, and junior safety/fullback Colin LaGasse. Conner Floyd suffered a broken leg in the first game and was expected to be out for the rest of the season. In the second game, Michael Brewer suffered a sprained shoulder that caused him to miss three games. With so many injuries many believed Lake Travis would fail to win a fourth straight Texas title. Yet the doubters were proved wrong, LT somehow managed to reach the UIL 4A State Championship Game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. In that game LT defeated the #3 ranked Denton Ryan Raiders 27-7; giving the Cavs their historic fourth consecutive state championship, making them the only 4A or 5A Texas school to accomplish this feat. In 2011, the Cavs again went undefeated, and defeated Waco Midway 22-7 in the state championship game. Lake Travis became the first Texas football program to win five consecutive state titles.[17]
Lake Travis was coached by Jan Jernberg (667-433 overall record; 302-135 at LT ) from 1997 until his retirement in 2011. Jernberg's most successful season was the 09-10 school year when LT were district champions and made it into the Texas 4A Final Four.[18]
The Lady Cavaliers garnered the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) Senior and Junior High School National Championship held December 28–29, 2008 at the Dallas Convention Center. More than 3,000 participants from 17 states competed in 23 divisions defined by skill level, number of athletes, and all-girl or coed designation. The Senior and Junior High School National Championship is one of four national championships administered each year by the NCA. The Lake Travis HS competition cheerleading squad placed second in 2007, missing the national title by two-hundredths of a point.[19]
The Lake Travis HS golf teams have a long history of success. The boys team won the state title in 1997 in class 3A. Since moving up to 4A both the boys and girls golf teams have been to the state tournament almost every year. Both teams finished as District Champions in 2007/8. The boys finished second at Regionals, advancing to State, and the girls finished as Regional Champs. In the final standings, the boys were State runner-up, after a team playoff, and the girls finished 4th. This is the second time the boys have finished second in State in the last 5 years, finishing as runner-up in 2003/4. The girls finished 3rd in the State in 2004/5 and 2005/6.[20]
Lake Travis HS supports girls and boys soccer teams at both the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels. As of 2008, the Varsity girls team has finished as District Champs or better in all but one season since 2000, including a Regional Championship (Region IV) in 2007 and a Bi-District Championship in 2008.[21]
In 2009, under the leadership of Coach Brett Schwab, the Lake Travis boys soccer team went deep into the playoffs, winning the 2009 Sectional Championship. In the post season, they managed to defeat the state-ranked Travis High School team. But after that significant victory the team lost to Alamo Heights High School of San Antonio. This was the most successful Lake Travis Mens soccer team to date.
Carol Creel has been the LT Tennis Coach since 2000. Over the years Creel has led the Cavs to multiple district championships. At the individual level of competition LT have won various regional finals and some of her players have even won state titles.[22] However, the 2011-2012 Team is the very first LT team to qualify for the Texas 4A Team Tennis Tournament, earning the #2 Seed. On November 5, 2011 LT faced off with powerhouse Highland Park; the #1 Texas 4A team and winners of 7 out of the last 8 Texas 4A State Championships.[23] The game ended 10-5 with LT finishing as the state runner-up.[24]
The Lake Travis HS Volleyball Team has won the Texas 4A State Championship in 2010 and 2011. 1995, was the first year for LT to appear in a state championship game. They lost the 3A state title to Bellville, 15-1,15-9.[25] In 2010, Lake Travis once again made it to the 4A final. Under Head Coach Julie Green LT won its first ever volleyball state title. The Lady Cavs beat Brenham in a quick 3 set match, 25-11, 25-18, 25-13, to win its first ever volleyball state championship. During the summer of 2011, Green left Lake Travis in order to become the athletic coordinator and head volleyball coach at Coppell High.[26] In 2011 LT won its second state championship perhaps more impressive the Lady Cavs went 50-0 and only lost one set during the entire season.[27] They were also ranked by PrepVolleyball as the number one high school volleyball team in the nation.
The Cavalettes were established in 1981 with the opening of Lake Travis High School. Through the years the Cavalettes have transformed into one of the most prestigious high school dance/drill teams in the state of Texas. The Cavalettes are known for their incredible high kick routines but also specialize in jazz, lyrical, novelty, pom, and modern dance. Young ladies can join the Cavalettes as freshmen, with tryouts usually in December of each year. Currently the Cavalettes are 62 members strong.[28] In 2012, the Cavalettes performed at the Tournament of Roses Parade. Marking the first time in the history of the parade that a high school drill and dance team performed an opening number.[29]
Lake Travis HS has a well-respected band program. Since 1996 it has been led by band director Kenneth Vise. The associate band directors are Lance Brightwell (as of 2007) and Steven Hopkins (as of 2010). The Cavalier Band produces and performs their competitive marching show for various UIL and non-UIL marching competitions every fall and at every regular season fall football half-time performance. Even after the regular season, the band travels with the football team and plays in the stands and on the field to cheer on their classmates on the team. On the field and on the stage, the band consistently performs well in UIL competitions and TMEA All State and All Region competitions. As well, the LTHS band placed 5th place in the 2011 4A state competition in the San Antonio Alamodome.[30]
The theater program is an organized group that frequently puts on shows for the entertainment of the school. In 2010, the Lake Travis Theater Department is performing 'Bye Bye Birdie' after the success of the Production class shows 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Six Characters in Search of an Author'. Many of the actors from Little Shop of Horrors have returned to perform again, with note Spencer Carter, who now plays 'Albert Peterson'. 'Bye Bye Birdie' also stars Evan Davies as 'Conrad Birdie', Angela Bumstead as 'Rosie DeLeon/Spanish Rose', Max Hoffman as 'Hugo Peabody', Monica Simmons as 'Kim McAfee', Evan Faust as 'Harvey Johnson', Joseph Torres as 'Harry McAfee', Angela Moira-Loftus as 'Doris McAfee', Amber Anthony as 'Ursula', John Wooding as 'Randolph McAfee/Ed Sullivan', Peter Crowder as 'Mayor/Reporter', Sami Marcoux as 'Reporter' and Rob Tuckfield as 'Maude, the Bartender'. A great deal of talented actors also make up the Teen and Adult chorus to guarantee there is never a dull moment. With Director Mrs. Carville, Music Director Mr. Latimer and senior actress Amanda Overstreet as the Choreography Director this is bound to be a hit for all.
The LTHS Theater Program also has an active chapter of the International Thespian Society, with several members in the past few graduating classes achieving "International Thespian" status, the highest rank that can be shared with young actors around the globe.
The Lake Travis Speech and Debate Team participates in both the National Forensic League and the Texas Forensic Association (TFA). The team has won multiple UIL district and regional championships. The LTHS Speech & Debate Team also earned UIL State Championships in both Informative & Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking as well as the UIL State Speech Team Sweepstakes in 2011. The team competes in Lincoln Douglas and Cross Examination debate, as well as in various forms of Extemporaneous Speaking and Oral Interpretation. Members frequently do well at TFA tournaments, and placed 2nd at TFA State in 2011 in both Congressional Debate & Poetry Interpretation. Before 2000, the program was fledgling, some school officials had even discussed cutting the program altogether. Keith Swink was able to revive student interest and helped turn it into a local powerhouse. Swink left in 2005 to accept a position at the Texas Education Agency and was replaced in 2006 by Barbara Ixba who has ensured LT's continued success.
Cavs in Service is a Lake Travis HS program designed to encourage young people to volunteer in their community. Any Lake Travis High School student can participate. Volunteers have until graduation to complete the required 100 hours of service.[31]
Interact is Rotary International's service club for young people ages 14 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lakeway-Lake Travis, the Lake Travis High School Interact Club has been in existence since 2002.
Projects Interactors have worked on have included car washes, coin drives, blanket drives for the homeless, food drives and sponsoring and helping plan and facilitate Relay For Life of Lake Travis (every year since 2002). The LTHS Interact Club has done project to benefit Safeplace, the SPCA, the Red Cross and Salvation Army (tsunami relief, hurricane relief and California wildfire relief), Heifer International, the American Cancer Society (Relay For Life), Rotary International (clean water and school projects in villages in India). Additional projects included a Frisbee tournament to raise money for shoes for orphans in a village in India as well as monthly visits to assisted living centers to facilitate games and activities.
In February, 2011 the LTHS Interact Club was presented with the Presidential Citation from Rotary International. The club was recognized for collecting close to 5,000 books to donate to an organization called Libraries of Love, which used the books to build a library in Africa. The club was also recognized for its raising funds to provide clean drinking water to children who were victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of:
LTISD (2011-08-30). "History". LTISD. http://laketravis.txed.net/page/18. Retrieved 30 October 2011.