ECISD Decathlon teams go on heater during winter storm

The winter storm did nothing to cool down Ector County ISD’s Academic Decathlon teams, four of which qualified this past weekend for state competitions in the spring. ECISD was set to host the Regional Decathlon on Friday and Saturday but the freezing rain and snow forced the contest to be held online rather than in person and any disappointment turned to jubilation when the final results were tallied.

“We are incredibly proud of our Academic Decathlon students and coaches,” said Executive Director of Academics & Accountability Dr. Kristen Vesely. “Their ability to adapt, persevere, and perform at such a high level, especially in the face of challenging circumstances, speaks volumes about their commitment, preparation, and resilience.”

Odessa High School (OHS) took first place in Division I, the large school division, while Permian High School (PHS) finished in third place, just missing a spot at state.

Odessa Collegiate Academy (OCA) won first place in Division III, the small school division, New Tech Odessa captured third place, with STEM Academy in sixth place.

Odessa High School, Odessa Collegiate Academy, New Tech Odessa, and STEM Academy are the four schools that earned invitations to state meets. OHS will travel to Frisco to compete for scholarship money. OCA, NTO, and STEM will travel to Corpus Christi to compete for a State Title and an invitation to nationals.

“Academic Decathlon challenges students to master a wide range of disciplines while developing confidence, teamwork, and communication skills,” added Dr. Vesely. “Seeing our students excel across events and earn top honors is incredibly rewarding.”

Team Highlights:

PHS led by top scorer Jaslynn Espinoza brought home 21 medals including 3 first place finishes (Kiara Ontiveros, Scholastic: Literature and Music; Max Valadez, Varsity: Social Science). They also earned two Overall awards (Kiara Ontiveros – 2nd Place Scholastic Overall, and Max Valadez – 2nd Place Varsity Overall).

OHS led by top scorer Amir Larbi brough home 30 medals including 14 first place finishes (Amir Larbi, Honors: Literature, Music, Science, Social Science; Branner Marroquin, Honors: Literature; Nevaeh Scott, Scholastic: Music, Art, Essay, Social Science; Xzayden Castillo, Varsity: Science; Martilina Aguilar, Varsity: Mathematics, and Essay.) They also earned three overall awards (Amir Larbi – 1st Honors; Nevaeh Scott -1st Scholastic; Xzayden Castillo – 3rd Varsity).

STEM Academy led by top scorer Karli Kershaw took home 5 medals including one 2nd place Varsity Overall award.

NTO – lead by top scorer Esteban Zubia brought home 14 medals including 7 first place finishes (Esteban Zubia, Scholastic: Literature, Music Science, Art, Economics, Social Science.) They also took one overall 1st place finish in the Scholastic category by Esteban Zubia.

OCA led by top scorer Mallory Hough brough home 28 medals including 8 first place finishes (Mallory Hough, Honors: Literature, Music, Science, Social Science; Zada Cobos, Scholastic: Essay; Madison Garcia, Scholastic: Economics; Roxanna Martinez, Varsity: Literature.) They also brough home 3 overall top scorer medals (Mallory Hough – 1st Place Honors; Zada Cobos – 2nd Place Scholastic; Roxanna Martinez – 3rd Place Varsity).

Amir Larbi from OHS and Mallory Hough from OCA were the top scorers in their division.

If you are not familiar with it, Academic Decathlon is made up of 10 events covering 7 subjects – science, literature, art, music, social science, economics, and math, plus a Super Quiz. All are built around a central theme of study. This year teams studied The Roaring Twenties. Competitors take tests, write essays, and deliver speeches as part of the 10 events; however, due to the inclement weather, the teams did not participate in Speech, Interview or Super Quiz. The students and their coaches spend months studying and preparing for these contests.

Each high school enters a team of nine students: 3 Honor students (3.80 - 4.00 GPA), 3 Scholastic students (3.20 - 3.799 GPA), and 3 Varsity students (0.00 - 3.199 GPA).