Students from 13 high schools in San Joaquin County – including Escalon – took part in the annual Academic Decathlon, hosted by the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE).
The competition began on Dec. 7, with the virtual essay events, and continued on Jan. 19, with the speech and interview events held at the SJCOE. On Saturday, Feb. 3, the competition moved to Lathrop High School, where competitors showcased their knowledge of art, economics, literature, mathematics, music, science, and social science in a series of objective tests, culminating in the high-energy Super Quiz competition and awards ceremony. Each year, all the decathlon events are tied together with a single theme. This year, the theme was Technology and Humanity.
This year’s Academic Decathlon team members from Escalon included seniors Erica Patino, Maia Madsen, and Lawson Stuart; junior Leonardo Castellanos; sophomores Ayana Cocio, Gloria Segura, Nohemy Romero, and Natalie Albor; and freshman Brooklyn Sparacino.
“We wrote essays online, performed speeches and interviews at the county office in Stockton, and took tests at Lathrop High School. Students competed in their events to the best of their abilities,” said Aca Dec teacher/coach Joshua Cohen. “Unfortunately, not all participants were able to attend all events.”
Cohen said it was a good group of students to work with and it was a good experience for all.
Each nine-member team consists of three students in each of three categories based on grade point average: Honors (3.75 – 4.0+), Scholastic (3.0 – 3.74), and Varsity (0.0 – 2.99).
Top Overall Teams
Top Overall School: Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District
Middle College High School received the Dave Sorgent Winner’s Cup and will compete in the State Academic Decathlon Championship.
2nd place overall: Ronald E. McNair High School, Lodi Unified School District
3rd place overall: Lathrop High School, Manteca Unified School District
Overall Top-Scoring Students:
EJ dela Cruz, Stockton Early College, Stockton Unified School District
Jordan Prawira, Mountain House High School, Lammersville Unified School District
Received $500 Walter Rathhaus Awards, provided by the SJCOE Educational Foundation
Top-Three Super Quiz Teams:
(Received plaque)
1st: Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District
1st: Stockton Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District
2nd: Lathrop High School, Manteca Unified School District
3rd: McNair High School, Lodi Unified School District
Top Overall Students by Category:
(Received medals, certificates, and scholarships)
DIVISION I
Honors
($250) 1st: EJ dela Cruz, Stockton Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District
($100) 2nd: Jaida Gao, Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District
($50) 3rd: Julia Yang, Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District
Scholastic
($250) 1st: Kayden Vanhorn, Stockton Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District
($100) 2nd: Jonathan Soto-Reyes, Stockton Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District
($50) 3rd: Paulina Munoz, Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District
Varsity
($250) 1st: Dayne Davenport, Lathrop High School, Manteca Unified School District
($100) 2nd: Mylan Tran, Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District
($50) 3rd: Aubrey Gasmen-Bohnak, Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District
DIVISION 2
Honors
($250) 1st: Jordan Prawira, Mountain House High School, Lammersville Unified School District
($100) 2nd: Allan Zhang, Mountain House High School, Lammersville Unified School District
($50) 3rd: Jashpreet Nagra, Kimball High School, Tracy Unified School District
Scholastic
($250) 1st: Spencer Petersen, Kimball High School, Tracy Unified School District
($100) 2nd: Cielo Ramirez, McNair High School, Lodi Unified School District
($50) 3rd: Andres Nieto, McNair High School, Lodi Unified School District
Varsity
($250) 1st: Brian Thao, McNair High School, Lodi Unified School District
($100) 2nd: Vysishtya Vaddiraju, Kimball High School, Tracy Unified School District
($50) 3rd: Angie Mora-Berber, Sierra High School, Manteca Unified School District
Scholarship winners:
University of the Pacific awarded three renewable $5,000 scholarships to the following deserving decathletes who have met the university requirements and have shown a strong desire to attend the university:
Sydney Ladrido, Sierra High School, Manteca Unified School District
Johnathan Soto-Reyes, Stockton Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District
Elise Nicole Miller, Manteca High School, Manteca Unified School District
This was the 43rd Annual Academic Decathlon, giving students an opportunity to compete in the scholastic arena.