Sandpoint High AcaDeca prepared to defend title

SANDPOINT — Sandpoint High School’s most dominant team doesn’t play at War Memorial Field. Its members don’t run, jump or throw a ball, and their only item of equipment is a 1,000-page binder packed with a dizzying amount of information about an array of academic subjects.

SHS’s Academic Decathlon team — a group of 20 students spanning all high school grade levels — is preparing to continue dominating Idaho in a 10-event competition designed to test participants’ scholastic aptitude. In March, SHS will have an opportunity to extend its state title streak to seven and punch a ticket to the national competition in Des Moines, Iowa, where the team would face more than 100 schools from across the U.S. and have an opportunity to continue its legacy of achievement. 

“We've had a lot of success at the state and national level,” said Stella Haag, senior, captain and four-year decathlete. 

While Haag has seen the team experience change during her tenure, SHS’s dominance has persisted. Last year, longtime coach Dana Stockman left the activity, leading environmental science teacher Becky Haag to take up leadership of the team (with some encouragement from her daughter, Stella). The team scored highest in all 10 categories in the 2023-2024 state competition and went on to place fifth in its division at the national contest in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

The driving force behind SHS’s success? According to members, it’s a combination of competitiveness and camaraderie. 

“We are the most competitive group of people that you'll find. And it's not just with each other — it’s with ourselves,” Stella Haag said. 

In a competition, every student completes a 50-question multiple choice test for each of Academic Decathlon’s seven subjects: art, economics, language and literature, math, music, science, and social science. They also interview, write essays and give speeches, both rehearsed and impromptu, before a panel of judges. Students’ individual scores are eventually compiled to create an overall team score; when all is said and done, Academic Decathlon contests often stretch 10 hours or more in length. 

“Toward the end of the end of a meet, we're all just trying to hold our heads up during awards,” said Stella Haag. “I've almost fallen asleep a couple of times.” 

“These are all people who are competitive,” Becky Haag said. “These kids have to enjoy taking tests on Saturday.” 

In addition to the team’s competitiveness, a culture of supportiveness has contributed to SHS’s performance. While students participate in events individually, team members can encourage peers to work hard to prepare for a competition and offer feedback and advice on components like speeches and interviews. 

“The team aspect is really what drives us home,” said junior and captain Evan Brubaker. “If there's a burden on one person, it's a burden on the team. If one person has something amazing, the entire team is just ecstatic.” 

Stella Haag shared about the sense of responsibility she felt last year to support younger team members and carry on the success of past teams. 

“These freshmen were promised a five-time state championship winning team. We want to give them that again,” she recalled thinking. “All the team leadership is working super hard to keep that dynamic.” 

Students also help one another by sharing knowledge of certain subject areas. Because Academic Decathlon’s subjects are so wide-ranging, team members excelling in certain topics may give lectures to support other students’ knowledge, thereby strengthening the team. 

“I can't teach some of these things,” Becky Haag said of the activity's diverse subjects, adding that both other teachers at SHS and students sometimes help teach the class. 

“If a student is really good at math, they'll give a math lesson ... they become experts in their own things and then share that expertise,” she said. 

Skills developed in Academic Decathlon tend to come in handy as students transition to higher education and the workplace. Many colleges examine standardized test scores when considering applicants; few activities prepare students for test-taking better than Academic Decathlon. 

“These kids know how to take a test, and a lot of times, that's what it's about,” Becky Haag said. “It’s really helpful in that respect.” 

The public speaking and interviewing components of Academic Decathlon also build key skills. All students will eventually apply for jobs and enter the workforce; being comfortable in an interview environment can be a significant advantage in competing for a job. 

“They’re well versed in how to answer interview questions and think on the fly,” Becky Haag added. “These are skills they take with them in real life.” 

Academic Decathlon is above all about fostering well-rounded students and encouraging participants to explore topics they might not otherwise. That way, they’re set up for success in the future, whatever they choose to pursue. 

“We’ve gotten to do so many super interesting things that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do if I wasn't in AcaDeca,” said junior Sophie Capodagli. 

Last year, while in Pittsburgh to compete in the national contest, students visited the Carnegie Museum of Natural History — an experience that made a lasting impression. 

“It was crazy cool,” Capodagli said. “I got lost in there for hours.” 

That’s what makes it more than just a test-taking competition, and instead, a program that prepares to make an impact in their community and beyond. 

“It's definitely a continuation of excellence that just keeps going,” Becky Haag said. “These kids go on to change the world.”