Merced High succeeds in Academic Decathlon

Students from 12 Merced County high schools converged at Merced College on Saturday for the Merced County Academic Decathlon.

This year’s theme was New Alternatives In Energy: Ingenuity and Innovation, and Merced High School bested other Merced County schools in the competition – the seventh year in a row the high school has taken top honors, according to a Merced County Office of Education press release.

In its 34th year in Merced County, the Academic Decathlon pit area high school students against one another in a contest of academics. Students competed in the areas of art, economics, language and literature, social science, math, music and science. There also were communications tests, which included essay writing, the delivery of prepared and impromptu speeches, and an oral interview.

High schools participating this year were: Atwater, Buhach Colony, Delhi, Dos Palos, Golden Valley, Gustine, Le Grand, Los Banos, Merced, Valley Community School/Atwater, Valley Community School/Los Banos, and Valley Community School/Merced.

The overall top scoring student was Merced High team member Aditya Kumarasamy. Merced High also took first place for the Super Quiz competition.

Teams compete for awards, scholarships and a chance to represent Merced County on March 19-22 at the State Academic Decathlon in Sacramento.

Sponsorship partners for the Academic Decathlon are the Educational Employees Credit Union, Hattie Givens Testamentary Trust, Merced College, Merced County Office of Education, and Merced Vein and Vascular – Dr. Mani Nallasivan, M.D.

In addition, Merced School Employees Federal Credit Union donated $6,000 to sponsor the Robert Wayne Scholarship Program.

This story was originally published February 11, 2015 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Merced High succeeds in Academic Decathlon."