Oakwood wins 12th straight academic decathlon national title
The Oakwood High School academic decathlon team has won its 12th straight Division III national championship.
Its latest title came this past weekend in Pittsburgh, where more than 600 students competed, according to the school district.
OHS finished ahead of runner up Oak Hill High School in Maine and third-place finisher DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts of Utah, the competition’s website states.
Academic Decathlon is a 10-event competition. Students write essays, deliver speeches, take exams in art, economics, literature, math, music, science, and social science; and are interviewed by judges. Academic Decathlon also includes the Super Quiz, where teams solve challenges across multiple subjects, in front of a live audience.
Oakwood’s nine-member team earned 65 individual medals and achieved eight out of nine total individual overall score awards in the three grade-point average divisions, Oakwood officials said.
The team earned a combined $6,000 in scholarship awards. Earning individual overall score awards were:
• Honors division - Rohan Haack, first and Oakwood’s highest scorer; Joseph Hong, second; and Anna Weaver, third.
• Scholastic division - Alex Devgan, first; Brian Fischer, second; and Grace Stafford, third, earning a perfect 1,000 in the interview event.
• Varsity division - Ian Brooks, first; and Daniel Wang, second.
Devgan was named Most Valuable Team Member. Julian Uhlman was also on the team.
Competing as individuals this year are Isak Autrey, Alayna Brown, Jack Campbell, Ty Fischer, Audrey Havrilla, Aiden Horton, Becket Jacobsen, Max Kiernan, Gabriella LaPerle, Will Steipp, Danny Vásconez, and Sia Zois.
The team is coached by Lori Morris, and assisted by Marie Jergens and Jeff Blumer.