The Academic Decathlon is the only academic team on the Escalon High School campus. Under the leadership of teacher/coach Josh Cohen, the squad competed earlier this month at the San Joaquin County Academic Decathlon and came home with several honors.

“At some schools, it is a class. At our school, it is a club, which means students have to take time out of their schedules to participate,” Cohen pointed out of the academic activity. “Students compete at three different levels. Kenya Sanchez and Gisselle Barrera, two of the top five students in the graduating class, competed against students at the highest level (Honors division), both finishing in the top half of the division.”

In the middle division (Scholastic), seniors Joshua Schut and Nikolai Lorenzo, and sophomore Landon Underwood performed “incredibly well,” said Cohen, winning six medals between them, including three medals in science.

“Senior Collin Haskin, our lone representative in the Varsity division, also brought home three medals,” Cohen noted.

Official results released by the San Joaquin County Office of Education listed the following honors for the EHS students.

Speech – Third, Varsity category, Collin Haskin.

Economics – First, Scholastic category, Nikolai Lorenzo; first, Varsity category, Collin Haskin.

Mathematics – Third, Scholastic category, Joshua Schut.

Science – First, Scholastic category, Joshua Schut; third, Scholastic category, Nikolai Lorenzo; third, Scholastic category, Landon Underwood; second, Varsity category, Collin Haskin.

Music – Second, Scholastic category, Nikolai Lorenzo.

“This is an extremely dynamic group,” Cohen said. “They’ve been together for a long time. We’ve been together for a long time. I appreciate everything they put into this team.”