West Valley High School’s (WVHS) Academic Decathlon team won the 32nd annual Riverside County Academic Decathlon in early February. On March 17, 2016, the team traveled to Sacramento to compete in the statewide competition.
The WVHS students competed in Division I, with the top teams in the state. They received 33rd place overall, and came home with four medals. Mario Blanco received a Bronze in Economics and Bronze in Speech, Elisha Dayag got Bronze in Math, and Yvette Relles Powell received Silver in Speech.
Students demonstrated a mastery of art, economics, essay writing, interview skills, literature, math, music, public speaking, science, and social science. This year’s competition theme was the student’s knowledge on India. WVHS students dedicated 2-3 hours of practice a day to prepare for Sacramento.
Coach Timm Hannem said, “These students put in a formidable amount of time in preparing for this competition, and it's exciting to see all of the tireless hours of work pay off with our seventh county championship in the last eight years. Coaching these students is easily the most rewarding thing I do, knowing that they have learned life-long lessons about teamwork and the value of full effort."
Despite WVHS Academic Decathlon team’s busy schedule in preparing for the State competition, they visited Whittier Elementary School to participate in Read Across America. Students chose their favorite Dr. Seuss book to read to the students, as well as explain the importance of reading and the benefits it has given them.
Congratulations to West Valley High School Academic Decathlon team! We are excited to know your extensive hard work paid off with the best results from Division I in team history!