New champ crowned in Merced County ‘virtual’ Academic Decathlon. Here are the winners
The 40th Annual Merced County Academic Decathlon award ceremony looked a little bit different this year, compared to previous events.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, gone were the traditional scenes of students assembling in a huge auditorium in their best-dressed attire, while cheering, clapping and congratulating one another under the showroom lights.
This year, the celebration and joy took place from their own homes via Zoom.
Regardless, County Superintendent of Schools Steve Tietjen couldn’t have been more proud of the students’ hard work and dedication — particularly given the hardships they’ve endured 10 months into the pandemic.
He also acknowledged the volunteers who made the decathlon possible, from education staff to the coaches. “I want to personally thank each and every student for the hours of preparation and sacrifice you made, being a member of your school’s team and your flexibility to adapt to the changes,” he said.
“But I also want to acknowledge that it is quite an honor and accomplishment to be on a team that is made up of only nine members and successfully complete a competition of this magnitude. I can’t even imagine the stress you endured in speeches, interviews and the Super Quiz, while also adjusting to them in a virtual world.”
New school champion crowned
The decathlon is a two-day series of tests, speeches and interviews featuring this year’s theme, “The Cold War.”
Students tested their knowledge in art, economics, language and literature, math, science, music, and social science. They also demonstrated their essay, interview and speech skills.
Students from Buhach Colony, Merced, Golden Valley, Livingston, El Capitan, Delhi and Le Grand high schools competed Jan. 30 and Feb. 6.
For the first time in county history, Buhach Colony High on Tuesday took the overall top spot. Merced High, the winner for the past 12 years, placed second, while Golden Valley High placed third.
“It’s a huge accomplishment and one that we are so very very proud of,” said Jennifer Euker, Buhach Colony High School principal.
“We know that we have been competing in this decathlon for over 15 years and have placed somewhere within the top four, but always just been shy of the victory. It’s thrilling for the campus. It’s thrilling for the students and their families and for the whole community.”
Schools have a total of nine members to serve as the core team – three students in each of three categories, based on grade point averages. Schools may send as many alternate participants as they choose.
Merced High was the highest scoring team for the Super Quiz held live on Zoom and Merced High School team member Daniel Chen was the top-scoring student of the competition.
Buhach Colony will go on to represent Merced County at the California Academic Decathlon, which will be held virtually March 18-21.
The winners:
ESSAY:
Varsity Division
Gold Medal Monica Maldonado, Livingston High
Silver Medal Ernesto Cortez, Buhach Colony High
Bronze Medal Alejandra J. Estrella, Delhi High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Dylan Ward, Livingston High School
Silver Medal Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High School
Bronze Medal Hannah Hratchian, Golden Valley High School
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Laura Ness, Merced High
Silver Medal Daniel Chen, Merced High
Bronze Medal Agastya Jain, El Capitan High
SPEECH
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Maria Guardado Hernandez, Le Grand High
Silver Medal Shayan Mirfakhrai, Merced High
Bronze Medal Aaron Magsalay, Merced High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Nathalie Flores, Merced High
Silver Medal Angel Guardado, Merced High
Bronze Medal Anjolie Arroyo, Merced High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Marisol Mercado, Livingston High
Silver Medal Jonathan Asai, Livingston High, Tianna LiWang, Merced High
Bronze Medal Diego Pimentel, Livingston High
INTERVIEW
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Monica Maldonado, Livingston High
Silver Medal Shayan Mirfakhraie, Merced High
Bronze Medal Natalie Magdaleno, Buhach Colony High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Raymi Boza, El Capitan High
Adam Haskins, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Ilse M. Aguilar, Delhi High
Bronze Medal Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Marisol Mercado, Livingston High
Silver Medal Brent Rowan, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Jesus Dominguez, Le Grand High
MATHEMATICS
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Alejandra J. Estrella Benson, Delhi High
Silver Medal Simon Vasquez, Golden Valley High
Ernesto Cortez, Buhach Colony High
Bronze Medal Esmeralda Ortiz, Livingston High
Monica Maldonado, Livingston High School, Diego Luna, Merced High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Angel Guardado, Merced High
Silver Medal Shane Barcellos, Livingston High
Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High
Nora Dominguez, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Adam Haskins, Buhach Colony High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Daniel Chen Merced High
Silver Medal Laura Ness, Merced High
Bronze Medal Riddhi Parikh, El Capitan High
SOCIAL SCIENCE
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Ernesto Cortez, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Esmeralda Ortiz, Livingston High
Bronze Medal Gerbin Caballero-Bello, Buhach Colony High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Dylan Ward, Livingston High
Bronze Medal Nathalie Flores, Merced High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Liam Newsam, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Laura Ness, Merced High
Bronze Medal Daniel Chen, Merced High
ART Individual Awards
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Simon Vasquez, Golden Valley High
Ernesto Cortez, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Esmeralda Ortiz, Livingston High
Gerbin Caballero-Bello, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Diego Luna, Merced High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Nathalie Flores, Merced High
Silver Medal Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High
Hannah Hratchian, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Raymi Boza, El Capitan High
Adam Haskins, Buhach Colony High
Sonia Lumley, Golden Valley High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Laura Ness, Merced High
Liam Newsam, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Daniel Chen, Merced High
Bronze Medal Tianna LiWang, Merced High
MUSIC
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Simon Vasquez, Golden Valley High
Silver Medal Ernesto Cortez, Buhach Colony High
Bronze Medal Diego Luna, Merced High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Hannah Hratchian, Golden Valley High
Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Sonia Lumley, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Nora Dominguez, Golden Valley High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Liam Newsam, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Daniel Chen, Merced High
Bronze Medal Laura Ness, Merced High
ECONOMICS Individual Awards
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Diego, Luna Merced High
Silver Medal Esmeralda Ortiz, Livingston High
Simon Vasquez, Golden Valley High School
Bronze Medal Ruben Villagomez, Le Grand High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Angel Guardado, Merced High
Nathalie Flores, Merced High
Silver Medal Dylan Ward, Livingston High
Hannah Hratchian, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Adam Haskins, Buhach Colony High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Laura Ness, Merced High
Daniel Chen, Merced High
Silver Medal Jonathan Asai, Livingston High
Bronze Medal Tianna LiWang, Merced High
LITERATURE
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Ernesto Cortez, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Simon Vasquez, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Esmeralda Ortiz, Livingston High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Dylan Ward, Livingston High
Silver Medal Hannah Hratchian, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Laura Ness, Merced High
Silver Medal Liam Newsam, Buhach Colony High
Bronze Medal Brent Rowan, Golden Valley High
Tianna LiWang, Merced High
SCIENCE
VARSITY DIVISION
Gold Medal Ernesto Cortez, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Simon Vasquez, Golden Valley High
Bronze Medal Gerbin Caballero-Bello, Buhach Colony High
SCHOLASTIC DIVISION
Gold Medal Adam Haskins, Buhach Colony High
Silver Medal Raymi Boza, El Capitan High
Thomas Mendoza, Buhach Colony High
Bronze Medal Nathalie Flores, Merced High
HONORS DIVISION
Gold Medal Liam Newsam, Buhach Colony High School
Silver Medal Daniel Chen, Merced High School
Bronze Medal Laura Ness, Merced High School
Top Scoring Student on Each Team
Buhach Colony High Liam Newsam
Delhi High Alejandra J. Estrella Benson
El Capitan High Agastya Jain
Golden Valley High Brent Rowan
Le Grand High Riley Lopez
Livingston High Jonathan Asai
Merced High Daniel Chen
Robert Wayne Scholarships
BUHACH HIGH
$250 Ernesto Cortez
$250 Thomas Mendoza
$500 Liam Newsam
DELHI HIGH
$250 Paulina Medina
$250 Ilse M. Aguilar
$500 Alejandra J. Estrella Benson
EL CAPITAN HIGH
$250 Riddhi Parikh
$250 Raymi Boza
$500 Agastya Jain
GOLDEN VALLEY
$250 Simon Vasquez
$250 Hannah Hratchian
$500 Brent Rowan
LE GRAND HIGH
$250 Jesus Dominguez
$250 Ruben Villagomez
$500 Riley Lopez
LIVINGSTON HIGH
$250 Esmeralda Ortiz
$250 Dylan Ward
$500 Jonathan Asai
MERCED HIGH
$250 Shayan Mirfakhraie
$250 Nathalie Flores
$500 Daniel Chen
SCHOLARSHIP
Overall Top Scoring Student - $300 Scholarship
Daniel Chen - Merced High School
TEAM COMPETITION SUPER QUIZ
1st Place Winning team Merced High School
2nd Place Winning Team Buhach Colony High School
3rd Place Winning Team Livingston High School
(Divisions are based on ADA numbers for each participating school)
Top Scoring High School in each Division:
1st Place Small School Delhi High School
1st Place Medium School Livingston High School
1st Place Large School Buhach Colony High School
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 1:09 PM.