During an evening awards ceremony on February 5, held in the ballroom of the CSUS Student Union, 130 decathletes from 11 area schools were recognized for their hard work and achievements. They had competed in categories such as mathematics, science, literature, art, and more, culminating with the presentation of the coveted team trophy. Special accolades were also given for outstanding individual performances in each subject area. The banquet honored these young scholars’ achievements and inspired a passion for learning and excellence. With a ballroom filled with cheering families, coaches, school leaders, and community partners, the room burst into applause when Folsom High School (Folsom Cordova USD), was announced as the winner of the 2024 Sacramento County Academic Decathlon. The Folsom team will now advance to the California Academic Decathlon, being held in Santa Clara next month.
“As we shine the spotlight on the students here tonight, let’s remember that today’s decathletes are tomorrow’s community leaders, thinkers, teachers, artists, engineers, and much more,” said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon in his welcome message at the award ceremony.
Eleven teams from Sacramento County competed. Four teams from Placer County joined the competition but were scored separately. To prepare for the academic competition, students devoted months of study to this year’s theme: “Technology and Humanity.”
During the awards ceremony, SAFE Credit Union Board Chairman Terry Tremelling and Vice President of Community Relations Rebecca Delmundo awarded college scholarships to the top-scoring students. A long-time Academic Decathlon sponsor, SAFE generously donated $7,500 in scholarships for top-scoring students. Media relations expert Kevin Riggs, a respected former KCRA journalist and political analyst, was the emcee for the evening.
The winning California team will advance to the U.S. Academic Decathlon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this April.
Photos and Multimedia
- Team photo gallery
- Super Quiz photo gallery
- Awards ceremony photo gallery
- Awards banquet video (YouTube)
Rankings and Results
Top-Scoring Teams
- 1st Place: Folsom High School (Folsom Cordova USD)
- 2nd Place: Bella Vista High School (San Juan USD)
- 3rd Place: Vista del Lago High School (Folsom Cordova USD)
- 4th Place: Christian Brothers High School (Diocese of Sacramento)
- 5th Place: Sheldon High School (Elk Grove USD)