Westlake High School (Texas)

Westlake High school
Address
4100 Westbank Drive Austin, Texas, Travis County 78746 United States
Coordinates	30°16′33″N 97°48′56″W / 30.27583°N 97.81556°WCoordinates: 30°16′33″N 97°48′56″W / 30.27583°N 97.81556°W
Information
Type	Public high school
Opened	1970
School district	Eanes Independent School District
Superintendent	Tom Leonard
Principal	Steve Ramsey
Grades	9-12
Gender	Coeducational
Enrollment	2,569 (2012)
Color(s)	Red, Blue and White
Athletics conference	UIL Class AAAAAA
Team name	Chaparrals
Newspaper	Featherduster
Yearbook	El Paisano
Website	School website

Westlake High School is a public high school in unincorporated territory of Travis County, Texas, west of Austin.^[1][2] The school is a part of the Eanes Independent School District. Westlake High School is the only high school in the Eanes ISD and serves West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, parts of Southwest Austin, and parts of unincorporated Travis County. The school was established in 1969 and opened in 1970.

In 2011, Westlake was ranked 72 on Newsweek Magazine's list of America's top High Schools.^[3] In 2012, Westlake was #160 in the Newsweek poll.^[4] In 2013, Westlake was #93 ^[5] and in 2014, Westlake was #117.^[6]

In high school rankings by The Washington Post, Westlake was #136 in 2014 and 2013.^[7][8] In 2012, it was #106 in The Washington Post poll,^[9] #59 in 2011,^[10] and #52 in 2010.^[11]

Extracurriculars

Academics

• UIL Academic Meet Champions ^[12]
  • 1993(4A)

Athletics

The Westlake Chaparrals compete in these sports - ^[13]

Volleyball, Cross Country, Football, Basketball, Powerlifting, Swimming, Soccer, Lacrosse, Golf, Tennis, Track, Baseball & Softball

State Titles

• Baseball - ^[14]
  • 1980(3A), 1984(4A)
• Boys Basketball - ^[15]
  • 1993(4A), 1995(5A), 1996(5A)
• Boys Cross Country - ^[16]
  • 1979(B), 1981(4A)
• Girls Cross Country - ^[17]
  • 1975(B), 1976(B), 1977(B), 1985(4A), 1990(4A)
• Football - ^[18]
  • 1996(5A)
• Boys Golf - ^[19]
  • 1980(3A), 1996(5A), 1999(5A), 2001(5A), 2009(5A), 2010(5A), 2014(5A)
• Boys Swimming - ^[20]
  • 2006(5A)
• Girls Swimming - ^[21]
  • 1980(All), 1996(All), 1997(All), 2007(5A), 2008(5A), 2014(5A), 2015(5A)
• Team Tennis - ^[22]
  • 1984(4A), 1985(4A), 1992(4A), 2006(5A), 2007(5A), 2009(4A)
• Volleyball - ^[23]
  • 1991(4A), 1993(4A), 2002(5A), 2004(5A)

Westlake technical theatre

The Westlake Technical Theatre program offers WHS students the opportunity to learn about all aspects of behind-the-scenes theatrical production. The Tech Crew records and later broadcasts every home football game over local cable.^[24]

Orchestra

The orchestra program currently has three full orchestras competing in UIL each year.

Band

The Westlake High School Chaparral Band has been named the Texas State Honor Band three times (AA, AAA, and AAAA) in its 30-year history.^[25] A select group of Chap Band student musicians performed at the bi-annual conference of the internationally recognized World Association for Symphonic Bands (WASBE) in Cincinnati, OH in July 2009. The invitation to perform at WASBE is the first ever extended to a high school band organization.^[26]

State Titles

• Marching Band Sweepstakes Champions ^[27]
  • 1979(3A), 1982(3A)

School newspaper

The Westlake Featherduster is the student newspaper of Westlake High School. The Featherduster was founded in 1969.

Cheerleading

The Westlake Cheer Program's Red Team has won the 2013, 2014, and 2015 UCA Super Varsity Division 1 National High School Cheerleading Championships.^[28][29]

Notable alumni

• Kyle Adams, 2006, Purdue University, Chicago Bears tight end^[30]
• Ben Breedlove, 2011, Internet personality^[31]
• Ally Breedlove, 2010, New York Times Best Selling Author of When Will the Heaven Begin?^{[32][33][34][35][36][37]}
• Drew Brees, 1997, Purdue University, New Orleans Saints Quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV MVP^[38][39][40]
• Angela Bettis, Actress
• Nick Foles, 2007, University of Arizona, Quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs^[41]
• Camila Grey, Lead singer of Uh Huh Her
• Kelly Gruber, 1980, MLB Third Baseman
• Jesse Heiman, 1996 Actor
• Josh Ilika, 1994, Two-time Olympic Swimmer
• Paul London, professional wrestler
• Seth McKinney, 1997, Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman, Drafted in the 3rd round by the Miami Dolphins
• Chris Mihm, 1997, University of Texas, NBA Center^[42]
• Tanner Price, 2010, Wake Forest, Quarterback^[43]
• Jessica Robertson, Actress
• Rich Riley, 1992, business executive
• Scott Spann, 2006, Olympic Swimmer, holds 5A state record in the 100 yd breast stroke^[44]
• Huston Street, 2001, University of Texas, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Pitcher^[42][45]
• Ryan Swope, 2009, Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver, Drafted in the 6th round by the Arizona Cardinals.
• Justin Tucker, 2008, University of Texas kicker, signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent; with whom he won Super Bowl XLVII.
• Ross William Ulbricht, 2002, creator of the Silk Road (as "Dread Pirate Roberts"), who was sentenced to life imprisonment on 29 May 2015^[46] and resides in the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn as of June 2015.^[47][48][49]
• Lauren Worsham, 2001, Tony-nominated Actress and winner of the 2014 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

References

1. "Home." Westlake High School. Retrieved December 31, 2012. "4100 Westbank Drive, Austin, TX 78746"
2. "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: West Lake Hills city, TX." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 31, 2012. (Archive)
3. "Newsweek: America's Best High Schools". Newsweek (New York). June 19, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2011
4. "America's Best High Schools 2012". Retrieved February 9, 2015
5. "2013 America's Best High Schools". Retrieved February 9, 2015
6. "Newsweek 2014 America's High Schools". Retrieved February 9, 2015
7. "High School Challenge 2014" Retrieved February 9, 2015
8. "High School Challenge 2013" Retrieved February 9, 2015
9. "High School Challenge 2012" Retrieved February 9, 2015
10. "High School Challenge 2011" Retrieved February 9, 2015
11. "High School Challenge 2010" Retrieved February 9, 2015
12. UIL Academic Meet Champions
13. The Athletics Department
14. UIL Baseball Archives
15. UIL Boys Basketball Archives
16. UIL Boys Cross Country Archives
17. UIL Girls Cross Country Archives
18. Lone Star Football Network
19. UIL Centennial webpage
20. UIL Boys Swimming Archives
21. UIL Girls Swimming Archives
22. UIL Centennial webpage
23. UIL Volleyball Archives
24. "Westlake Technical Theatre". Retrieved October 23, 2013.
25. "Texas Honor Band Search History".
26. "Westlake Band : Directors".
27. UIL Marching Band Archives
28. "Westlake Red Cheerleading wins national championship for second year". KXAN-TV. February 2014.
29. "Super Varsity Division I Final Results" (PDF).
30. "Kyle Adams". purduesports.com.
31. Cargile, Erin (December 29, 2011). "How Ben lived with his heart condition". KXAN.com. Austin. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
32. Best Sellers - The New York Times
33. "Amazon.com: Ally Breedlove: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle". amazon.com. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
34. "When will the heaven begin? Get to know the remarkable story of Ben Breedlove as told by his sister Ally". Glenn Beck. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
35. Randi Kaye and Chelsea J. Carter, CNN (30 November 2013). "Stories of life, death and faith: 'To Heaven and Back'". CNN. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
36. "Remembering Internet sensation Ben Breedlove". Fox News. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
37. "Ally Breedlove and Family". lifetoday.org. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
38. "Saints quarterback Drew Brees leads, and wins, by example". The Washington Post. February 3, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
39. Hall, Michael (October 1999). "We Love the Westlake Chaps. No, Really.". Texas Monthly.
40. "Drew Brees passed his first test as a QB in the Canyon". Rockdale Reporter. February 11, 2010.
41. "QB hotbed: Brees, Foles share high school". ESPN. January 2, 2014.
42. "Little Athletes, Big Dreams". The Austin Chronicle. June 10, 2005.
43. "Westlake's QB honor roll". Austin American-Statesman. October 7, 2011.
44. "Scott Spann","USA Swimming", Retrieved July 14, 2011 Archived December 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
45. "Huston Street". Sports Pundit. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
46. "Accused Silk Road Operator Ross Ulbricht Convicted on All Counts". NBC News. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
47. "Inmate Locator." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on June 15, 2015. Enter the BOP number 18870-111 or the name Ross Ulbricht.
48. Greenberg, Andy. "After Ross Ulbricht's First NY Court Appearance, His Lawyer Says He's Not The FBI's Dread Pirate Roberts." Forbes. November 7, 2013. Retrieved on June 15, 2015. "Dratel said Ulbricht is now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn[...]"
49. "Man with Austin ties charged with running vast underground drugs website" (Archive). Austin American-Statesman. October 2, 2003. Retrieved on June 14, 2015.