The Central Union High School Academic Decathlon team smiles in front of the Memorial Auditorium in downtown Sacramento where they competed as part of the California Academic Decathlon Competition from March 11-14. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LORENA MALOOF) |
Add another collection of medals for the Central Spartans after their Imperial County-winning Academic Decathlon team returned this week from the California Academic Decathlon Competition in Sacramento.
The Central Academic Decathlon team came home with 18 individual medals and fourth place overall in division three from the state competition, a school-best in the last five years, team coach Neil MacGaffey said.
“We were going for first, second or third, but getting fourth in our division out of all of California is something,” he said Thursday. He said 25 teams competed in division three.
“I’m still recuperating from the whole thing,” MacGaffey said with just a few days back from the competition, which was March 11 through Monday.
“If we keep this up we should be seeing the Imperial Valley get second and third,” 17-year-old senior and Holtville resident Alexander Whalen said.
Whalen was one of five Central students who medaled in more than one category, including first place overall in the varsity category for division three schools.
His teammate, junior Steven Johnson, placed third overall in the varsity category as well as bringing home five other top-three medals from the state competition.
“It was exciting,” the 17-year-old El Centro resident said.
This school year marked Steven’s first in Academic Decathlon and his first time ever at any state competition.
“Just the amount of people participating was striking,” he said. “The place where we took our tests was the biggest room I’ve ever seen.”
“This is my last year and I went out with guns blazing,” Alexander said.
“Every question is worth 10 points so if I had gotten one question wrong or forgot (a punctuation mark) or coughed in the middle of my speech I would’ve lost, so it’s pretty cool,” he said.
“It was a good way to go out,” he said. “I really don’t think there’s anything else like it.”
Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com
The Central Academic Decathlon team came home with 18 individual medals and fourth place overall in division three from the state competition, a school-best in the last five years, team coach Neil MacGaffey said.
“We were going for first, second or third, but getting fourth in our division out of all of California is something,” he said Thursday. He said 25 teams competed in division three.
“I’m still recuperating from the whole thing,” MacGaffey said with just a few days back from the competition, which was March 11 through Monday.
“If we keep this up we should be seeing the Imperial Valley get second and third,” 17-year-old senior and Holtville resident Alexander Whalen said.
Whalen was one of five Central students who medaled in more than one category, including first place overall in the varsity category for division three schools.
His teammate, junior Steven Johnson, placed third overall in the varsity category as well as bringing home five other top-three medals from the state competition.
“It was exciting,” the 17-year-old El Centro resident said.
This school year marked Steven’s first in Academic Decathlon and his first time ever at any state competition.
“Just the amount of people participating was striking,” he said. “The place where we took our tests was the biggest room I’ve ever seen.”
“This is my last year and I went out with guns blazing,” Alexander said.
“Every question is worth 10 points so if I had gotten one question wrong or forgot (a punctuation mark) or coughed in the middle of my speech I would’ve lost, so it’s pretty cool,” he said.
“It was a good way to go out,” he said. “I really don’t think there’s anything else like it.”
Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com
