Stockdale Named Academic Decathlon Champs

Stockdale Named Academic Decathlon Champs

  • February 6, 2023

Stockdale High School received the Claude W. Richardson perpetual trophy as the overall team winner of the 42nd annual Kern County Academic Decathlon which concluded on February 4 at Stockdale High School. Nearly 100 students from 11 high schools participated. Stockdale High will represent Kern County in the California Academic Decathlon scheduled for next month in Santa Clara.

Rounding out the top eight teams were:

Second place – Frontier
Third place – Arvin
Fourth place – Independence
Fifth place – West

Academic Decathlon is made up of 10 events including Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, and Speech, plus a Super Quiz. The majority of the subjects were contested virtually on Feb. 1 & 2. Today’s contest featured the final two in-person categories — the speech competition and the Super Quiz. The Super Quiz is a pressure-packed 90-minutes of excitement, run like a TV quiz show. Team members have ten seconds to collaborate and answer each question. Running totals are displayed on large, visible flip cards, bringing about enthusiastic reactions from the audience.

Each school’s team consisted of a maximum of nine students: three “A” (honor), three “B” (scholastic) and three “C” (varsity) entrants. They competed against other students in the same divisions. The team compiling the most points captured first place. Individual medals were also awarded to first, second and third place finishers in each category and division.

Overall individual top scores in this year’s Academic Decathlon went to:

Honors Division
1st place – Justin Magugat, Stockdale High
2nd place – Natalie Hawkins, Stockdale High
3rd place – Abbett Xander Monte De Ramos, Frontier High

Scholastic Division
1st place – Nikira Boerger, Stockdale High
2nd place – Aidan Lo, Stockdale High
3rd place – Kiera Julius, Independence High

Varsity Division
1st place – Olivia Ussery, Frontier High
2nd place – Giselle Christensen, West High
3rd place – Jazmine Zavala, Independence High

Super Quiz Winner (Milo Hall Trophy)
Frontier High

Additionally, the Academic Decathlon Foundation Board awarded a one-time scholarship of $1,000 to Stockdale High Senior, Nikira Boerger.