SHS team competes in Idaho Academic Decathlon
(Courtesy photo) A team of 15 Sandpoint High School students competed in the Academic Decathlon State Meet in Boise March 17 - 18, bringing home a total of 82 medals.
(Courtesy photo) Chloe Braedt, center, Sandpoint High School sophomore and second year decathlete, was awarded the Philip Ourada Memorial Award for meritorious achievement in the speech and interview events during the Idaho Academic Decathlon State Meet in Boise March 17 and 18.
SANDPOINT — A team of 15 Sandpoint High School competitors brought home a total of 82 medals from the 2017 Idaho Academic Decathlon State Meet at Boise State University March 17 and 18.
The SHS team joined more than 160 students from across the state, with Sandpoint and Victory Charter School winning first place in the large and small school categories, respectively. Sugar-Salem was first place in the medium school category and was the overall winner.
In addition to placing first in the large school category, SHS placed second overall behind Sugar-Salem. As a result, they will represent Idaho in the United States Academic Decathlon Online National Finals on April 6 and April 21, along with Victory Charter, who came in third overall.
The SHS team performed well, also placing first in Super Quiz and bringing home a total of 82 medals: 31 gold, 26 silver, and 25 bronze.
Chloe Braedt, a sophomore and second-year decathlete, was awarded the Philip Ourada Memorial Award for meritorious achievement in the speech and interview events. Hyrum Hunsaker, a junior, second-year decathlete and team co-captain, was also honored for his public-speaking skills and was featured in the speech showcase at the awards banquet on Saturday.
“I am thrilled with how well the students did,” said team coach Dana Stockman. “They have worked hard all year and are so deserving of the awards that they brought home from Boise.”
The academic decathlon competition consists of 10 individual events in art, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, math, music, science, social science and speech. Additionally, teams compete in a relay — the Super Quiz — spanning all topics covered in the individual events. Every year the theme is different. This year, the students studied World War II; next year, the theme will be Africa. Award categories include students in honors with a 3.75 – 4.0 GPA, scholastic with a 3.0 – 3.749 GPA, and varsity with a 0.0 – 2.99 GPA, representing small, medium, and large schools.
“We had a remarkable state competition, with fewer than 235 points (out of a possible 60,000) separate the top two teams,” said Idaho Academic Decathlon Executive Director, Mary Bird. “I am very proud of all of the decathletes.”
A list of winning schools in each of the categories can be found on the organization’s website at www.acadecaidaho.org/2017-state-results.
The Idaho Academic Decathlon is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to develop and provide academic competitions, curriculum, and assessment to promote learning and academic excellence through teamwork among students of all achievement levels.
The decathlon provides enriching educational experiences that combine the relevant study of cultural and critical topics with strong reasoning and interpersonal skills. The value of the competitions, project and activities lies in stretching participants’ capacities and bonding with others. The emphasis is on the personal growth of each student, who, by meeting the challenges with honesty and integrity, reaps the rewards of greater self-knowledge and self-confidence.