Recently, Pacheco High School students competed in Merced County’s 43rd annual Academic Decathlon. The decathlon involved multiple rounds of competition including categories such as essays, multiple choice tests, speeches and interviews, as well as the Super Quiz.
Several students from PHS were recognized for their academic prowess such as Elizabeth Gonzalez who won the Honor’s Division silver medal in essays, Juan Montiel who earned the Scholastic Division’s bronze medal in mathematics and Sienna Granillo who also earned a bronze medal for the Honor’s Division in speech.
Furthermore, recipients of the Robert Wayne Scholarship include Juan Montiel and Valerie Guzman Gonzalez who both received $250, as well as Elizabeth Gonzalez who received $500. Elizabeth Gonzalez was also recognized as Pacheco High’s most improved student.
According to a press release by Nathan Quevedo, “At the awards presentation students were recognized for their participation in the competition both individually and as a team.”
The students from Pacheco High competed against nine other high schools from Merced County including Atwater, Golden Valley, El Capitan, Hilmar, Delhi, Livingston, Merced, Le Grand and Buhach Colony.
The rigorous competition “challenged student knowledge and skills in math, science, social science, music, art, economics, literature, public speaking and interviews,” according to Quevedo.
The overall winner of the competition was Golden Valley High School who will represent Merced County later this year in March at the State Academic Decathlon in Santa Clara.
