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Students Earn Medals at 27th Annual Academic Decathlon

County Superintendent Announces Winners at Awards Banquet

Folsom High School group photo with champions banner and trophy

First place team Folsom High School will advance to the statewide Academic Decathlon competition March 15–18 in Los Angeles.

Individual and team winners of the 27th Annual Sacramento County Academic Decathlon, held February 3 at Valley High School, have been announced by Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon. Modeling their efforts after the Olympic Decathlon, nearly 250 local students competed for awards in 10 demanding academic events: Mathematics, Art, Music, Language/Literature, Economics, Science, Essay, Speech, Interview and Super Quiz. Contestants represented 22 schools in Sacramento County plus one school from Yuba City.

Following is a listing of top scorers honored February 7 at the Academic Decathlon Awards Banquet presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) in the University Ballroom of California State University, Sacramento. KCRA Channel 3 Anchor and Political Reporter Kevin Riggs served as emcee of the awards banquet. Students received gold, silver or bronze medals for their efforts. SAFE Credit Union provided $10,000 in scholarships to be distributed among top-scoring students.


Winners of Super Decathlete Awards
(students with overall best individual scores, by category)

Gold Medal Winners
Janelle Tiulentino, Rio Vista High School
John Liu Folsom, High School
Tyler Knight, Folsom High School

Silver Medal Winners
Courtney Wang, Folsom High School
Alan Rosenfeld, Folsom High School
Allyce Ondricka, Del Campo High

Bronze Medal Winners
Alan Lin, Laguna Creek High School
Eric Salazar, Del Campo High School
Spencer Pavelchik, Bella Vista High School

Top-scorers in Speech Competition
(tie for first place)

Morgan Steele, Folsom High School
Zachary Windheim, New Technology High School

Recipients of Team Leadership Award

Bella Vista High School: Matt Mohr
Center High School: Zainab Nasafi
Del Campo High School: Sarah Mills
Encina High School: David Lopez
Folsom High School: Courtney Wang
Franklin High School: Joshua Qin
Galt High School: Carla Bare
Inderkum High School: Priscilla Sheen
John F. Kennedy High School: Jaime Fong
Laguna Creek High School: Joshua Chan
Luther Burbank High School: Susan Vang
Mira Loma High School: Suzan Boulad
Monterey Trail High School: Lauren Vine
New Technology High School: Ger Lao
Rio Americano High School: Margaret Chi
Rio Linda High School: Jamesson Kaupanger
Rio Vista High School: Janelle Tiulentino
San Juan High School: Daniel Hansen
Sheldon High School: Iyasha Iqbal
St. Francis High School: Bernice Ponce de Leon
Valley High School: Alvin Tan
West Campus High School: Jeremy Yee

Schools Placing Highest in the Super Quiz Competition
(compilation of scores from written and oral exams)

1st Folsom High School
2nd Bella Vista High School
3rd Del Campo High School
4th J.F. Kennedy High School

Rankings of Schools Participating in the 2007 Academic Decathlon

1st Folsom High School (advances to the statewide competition March 15-18 in Los Angeles)
2nd Del Campo High School
3rd Bella Vista High School
4th Laguna Creek High School
5th Mira Loma High School
6th Rio Vista High School
7th John F. Kennedy High School
8th Rio Americano High School
9th Galt High School
10th Valley High School
11th Luther Burbank High School
12th Franklin High School
13th Sheldon High School
14th West Campus High School
15th Center High School
16th San Juan High School
17th Inderkum High School (first time competing)
18th New Technology High School
19th Rio Linda High School
20th Encina High School
21st St. Francis High School (partial team)
22nd Monterey Trail High School (first time competing)

School With "Most Improved Score" From Prior Year:

Laguna Creek High


Twenty-three local high schools sent teams, comprised of three Honors students (those with "A" grade averages), three Scholastic ("B" average) students, and three Varsity ("C" average) students to compete February 3 in the 27th Annual Sacramento County Academic Decathlon. The Academic Decathlon, an all-day event, represented months of study and preparation by nearly 250 students and their teacher-coaches. The theme of this year's Academic Decathlon was "China and Its Influence on the World." The competition culminated in a high-energy team event called the "Super Quiz" in which each team competed head-to-head to answer tough questions on this year's Super Quiz theme: climatology. The county-wide Academic Decathlon is conducted by staff and volunteers of the Sacramento County Office of Education.

Additional information about participating in the Academic Decathlon, or serving as a volunteer, is available by phoning the Sacramento County Office of Education at (916) 228-2660 or accessing the following websites:

Henry Wirz and David W. Gordon holding poster

County Superintendent David W. Gordon (right) presents an Academic Decathlon poster to SAFE Credit Union President/CEO Henry Wirz.

Zachary Windheim gestures while delivering speech

Zachary Windheim from New Technology High School, tied for first place in the Speech competition, delivers his speech at the Awards Banquet.

Morgan Steele at lectern delivering speech

Morgan Steele from Folsom High School, tied for first place in the Speech competition, delivers her speech at the Awards Banquet.

Student shaking hands with administrator
Student accepting medal