Pictured: (left to right) Back Row: Madhav Manickath, James Kim, Matthew Peeples, Kevin Noh, Kayleigh Ammerman, Prerana Thippesha, Mr. Narozny
Front Row: Christina Scanlon, Tierra Sherlock, Joey Shymko, Bethany Wolch-Rapetti, Karolina Wisniewski
Front Row: Hannah Krzyszton, Madhav Manickath, Christina Scanlon, Karolina Wisniewski, Joey Shymko
This year’s Academic Decathlon team has concluded its season. Academic Decathlon offers a unique opportunity for students of all grade averages and interests to pursue a shared passion for learning.
Throughout the course of a year, students on the Honors, Scholastic, and Varsity teams study 10 subjects. The competition focuses on a different unifying topic every year and covers subjects ranging from standard English, Math, Science, History, Economics, Art, and Music to subjective topics like Essay, Interview, and Speech. The 2018-2019 theme was The 1960s: A Transformational Decade.
The team took 3rd place in the region, moving on to states, where they placed 6th overall in New Jersey. The students collected 45 awards at the regional competition and multiple overall high scoring decathlete awards. This season also marked the 20th year that Mr. Narozny has coached the Academic Decathlon team, no coincidence that it was also the 20th straight year the team reached the state level.
Although the team has proven to be very strong and has developed a certain winning tradition, accolades and awards do not begin to measure the spirit and reward of Academic Decathlon. Teammates grow into friends and family as every member supports and helps his or her peers, encouraging and celebrating their successes. Decathletes get an opportunity to explore their curiosity, learning more than school curriculum could ever offer. Whether driven by the prospect of proving something to oneself or others, the motivation and hard work funneled into Academic Decathlon does not go unrecognized.
The fulfilling nature of this program keeps students coming back each season to embark on a year of discovery and competition. The 2019-2020 topic is In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness. If you are interested in joining the team, contact Mr. Narozny for additional information!
State Level Awards:
Team MVP: Matthew Peeples
Alternates:
James Kim
Kevin Noh- Gold medal in Economics, Silver medal in Art, Bronze medal in Science
Karolina Wisniewski- Honorable Mention in English
Varsity Team:
Kayleigh Ammerman- Gold medal in Interview, Gold medal in Speech, Gold medal in Music, Silver medal in English, Honorable Mention in Art, Honorable Mention in Science, 2nd Overall Decathlete on the Varsity team in NJ
Bethany Wloch-Rapetti: Bronze medal in Music, Honorable Mention in Interview
Scholastic Team:
Hannah Krzyszton- Silver medal in Speech, Bronze medal in Interview, Honorable Mention in Art
Madhav Manickath
Joey Shymko
Honors Team:
Christina Scanlon- Honorable Mention in Art, Honorable Mention in Essay
Tierra Sherlock- Gold medal in Speech, Perfect Score & Highest Scored Speech in NJ, Silver medal in Interview, Honorable Mention in English
Prerana Thippesha- Bronze medal in Music, Honorable Mention in Speech