The school’s Varsity and Junior Varsity (JV) Academic Decathlon (AcaDeca) teams reigned victorious in their regional competition, which was hosted at the school Feb. 1, winning first and third overall in Division I.
“My favorite part of AcaDeca, other than my coaches and teammates, has been discovering just how much I can push myself and learn,” senior Emily Simms said. “I’ve always loved reading and being the best at things, and this is kind of the ultimate way to do that.”
The school has won 10 national championships in the past, holding the title for most wins in the nation. There are nine students per team, with three groups based on their academic grade point average which are Honors, Scholastic and Varsity. The competition consists of seven subjective tests ranging from economics to music, along with three subjective tests including speech, essay and interview. With an experienced ensemble of coaches—Stephanie Franklin, Nathaniel Jones, Karen Evens and John Dalsass—the team has a strong support system that pushes them to keep reaching for greater success.
“It’s 24/7 grilling and locking in,” Simms said. “It can get hard and exhausting, but it always pays off.”
The teams have to balance their academics while also keeping AcaDeca as a priority. It is a heavy feat with them having to learn through their mistakes to handle the pressure of being on the team. Each member has their own qualities they bring to the table, and when they come together, they flourish like nowhere else.
“It’s motivating and inspiring to see others working just as hard as I am,” senior Enoch Chan said. “As a team, we’re able to share our moments of happiness and overcome challenges together.”
The Varsity AcaDeca team has consistently won the national competition for the past two years and are seemingly on the road to add on another year to their streak. In the regional competition, they accumulated an outstanding score of 52,065.8 points, which is currently the highest score in the nation so far. Moreover, they secured first place in Super Quiz, another part of the competition where all teams rapidly answer questions on the seven subjects in a “Jeopardy”-like fashion.
“I love learning with others who also have the same motivation and passion as me,” senior Taylor Nguyen said. “All of us have different skill sets but we always come back together to help each other, even if it’s at school or out getting a meal.”
Additionally, the school’s new JV AcaDeca team has seen their hard work pay off, amassing a total team score of 41,356.4 points and winning third place in Super Quiz. Being the first JV team in the school’s history, they have left an impressive record for years to come.
“At the end of the day, it’s just nine kids memorizing a bunch of guides,” junior Alexander van Gerwen said. “Getting to laugh with these guys and being able to support each other every day is the most enjoyable part.”
