Mission CISD chess teams advance to SuperNationals

Mims Elementary and Mission Jr. High are set to represent Mission CISD at the 2025 U.S. Chess SuperNationals in May.

Fourteen students from Mims and six from Mission Jr. High will make the trek to Orlando, Florida to take on junior chess competitors from across the country.

“That’s the pride and joy of Mission CISD,” Trustee Petra Ramirez said.

At the regionals tournament last month, the Mims Mustang Chess Team earned several recognitions, including second place in the K-1 team event and third place in the primary championship team event, with third grader Ikzander Moreno taking home the award. The Patriot Chess Team celebrated sixth grader Arya Ramirez tying for 15th place and Nomar Menchaca tying for 29th place out of 190 competitors.

Now, the teams prepare for the national stage, but it’s not their first rodeo.

Last year, Mims sent 13 students to the 2024 National Championship to compete against more than 1,500 players from 42 states. Although the MCISD students did not place in 2024, several players from last year’s cohort will return in 2025 for another shot at victory. Returning players include Arya Ramirez, Ikzander Moreno and fifth-grader Ruben Yzaguirre.

Mims Elementary was the first campus in Mission CISD to launch a chess team in 2019. Math teacher and team sponsor Daniella Alaniz started a chess program when she worked at McAllen ISD. While there, she trained nationally ranked chess players. But after she moved to Mission, Alaniz brought her knowledge and love of the game with her. Since then, students have continued playing, eventually taking the club to Mission Jr. High and making it the second campus with the program. Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Cynthia Wilson said the district wants to expand the program to other campuses next year, depending on interest.

The board of trustees approved the chess teams’ out-of-state travel at the March meeting, requesting they use board funds to help pay for expenses. Although the campuses each have a couple thousand dollars in the budget for the chess clubs, the students still need to fundraise to make up the difference. Wilson estimated that Mims and Mission Jr. High would be responsible for about $3,400 and $2,600, respectively. However, a few of the 20 players attending the national tournament will not compete and are merely going for the experience. Those students and their families have paid their own way.

Regardless, Ramirez fought hard to use board funds to help pay for the trip.

“I strongly believe that our students come first. And if it’s $5,000, $10,000, I think we should afford it for them because they are representing our school district,” she said. “We don’t have to be penny pinching our students.”

 

The assistant superintendent reported that the district would pay for the sponsors’ travel expenses and the player registration fees, estimating about $2,000.

“On behalf of the Mims and Mission Jr. High chess team, we would like to thank the board for their support,” Wilson said.