The HPHS Academic Decathlon team won its fourth consecutive Texas State AcDec Championship Feb. 27. Students completed their subject tests virtually between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., and the results were announced “live” that evening through Facebook Live and YouTube.
The HPHS team of Daniel Carrillo, Ryan Carmack, Kai Tsuei, Matthew Winters, Pike Dzurny, Karina Zaydler, Mackenna Bierschenk, Jasper Chen, and Jack Jiang won a decisive victory, earning the top spot among medium-sized schools in the state. More impressively, they were the highest-scoring team among all the schools in the state across all divisions, so the HP team will represent Texas at the AcDec National Competition in April. They also won the team Super Quiz competition.
During the awards ceremony, all nine members of the team were recognized for their impressive individual achievements as well. In the Varsity Division, Mackenna Bierschenk won second place overall and Jasper Chen finished in fourth place. Matthew Winters was first place and Pike Dzurny was third overall in the Scholastic Division. In the Honors Division, Daniel Carrillo won second place, Ryan Carmack was fourth, and Kai Tsuei finished in fifth place. Karina Zaydler and Jack Jiang both finished in the top three places in three different subject areas.
The team is coached by HPHS teachers Barry Preston and David Alvarado.
“The HPHS Academic Decathlon Team is the perfect example of what is possible when a collective group of highly talented and extremely motivated individuals pull together to form a tight-knit team," HPHS Principal Jeremy Gilbert said. "With the guidance of our incredible coaches, our AcDec team overcame a unique set of circumstances this year to thrive in the UIL State Competition. They serve as yet another example of the saying, 'Scotties find a way!'"
The team now turns its attention to the National AcDec competition. They will compete in the essay event April 8, the interview event April 28, and speech April 29. The subject tests in Art, Literature, Social Sciences, Science, Math, and Economics, as well as the Super Quiz, will be held April 30. The results and awards for AcDec Nationals will be announced May 1.
Individual student awards included:
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Daniel Carrillo:
Ryan Carmack:
Kai Tsuei:
Matthew Winters:
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Pike Dzurny:
Karina Zaydler:
Mackenna Bierschenk:
Jasper Chen:
Jack Jiang:
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The team would like to thank HPHS Assistant Principal Michelle Shumate and the members of the AcDec Booster Club for their incredible support.