The Garland and South Garland high school Academic Decathlon teams had memorable experiences during the Texas Academic Decathlon Meet, Feb 26-March 1 in San Antonio. Both teams set and met goals for their state performances, leaving the competition feeling accomplished and satisfied.
Showcasing Garland ISD talent, the teams brought seven medals home. The South Garland High School team not only secured five of those medals, but they also achieved a longtime goal.
“We are extremely proud that SGHS finally broke the top 10. I am thrilled to announce that South Garland placed 10th overall in the Academic Decathlon state competition,” said world history teacher and AcDec coach David Yeatts. “They were initially ranked 13th, so this is a huge improvement. I cannot begin to express how proud I am of these young men and women.”
SGHS Junior Desiree Cadena placed third in both scholastic math and speech, while senior Alison Van Alen secured third place in varsity art, math and speech. Their GISD counterpart, Garland High School senior Lexie Ford, won first place in honors essay and third in honors economics.
“The Garland High School team went into state ranked No. 20, which is six places higher than last year,” said science teacher and AcDec coach Cynthia Curtis. “They performed remarkably well and broke 40,000 points. In the end, our team was ranked No. 16, which is a huge jump for this competition.”
But earning medals and moving up on the ranking scale are not the only benefits students receive from this competition.
“Our team really learned how to study and work as a group,” explained Curtis. “They are incredibly cohesive, collaborative and communicative. Carol Rosales and I are incredibly proud of their performance.”
Photos courtesy of David Yeatts and Cynthia Curtis