The prestigious Academic Decathlon team is riding the momentum of their sixth straight district championship wins and advancing to the state tournament. Through months of intense and rigorous studying, teamwork, and preparation, the team has built a solid reputation for themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the district competitions. With the district title secured, the Academic Decathlon team sets their eyes on the state competition win, where their knowledge and skills will be put to the test as they compete against all the best teams in Georgia. 

      The Academic Decathlon team, led by Deanna Hasty and Dandra McPhail, have put in the work to dominate districts for the sixth consecutive year, and they aren’t stopping there. Both teachers couldn’t be more proud of the team, and are looking forward to bigger and better things in the future as the team continues to work hard to make it to nationals. With the national competition taking place in Los Angeles, the team is hungry for the opportunity to crush it at nationals and enjoy a fun day at Disneyland. “I’m always excited to see the growth and development of students I’ve taught outside the classroom,” said McPhail, “Everyone gaining confidence and travelling with everyone is always fun.”

     Hours of studying has clearly paid off for the Academic Decathlon team, with the team scoring the highest they’ve ever achieved in a district competition with a combined score of 1,997, beating their previous 16,000 record. One student in particular, 10th grader Ava Youd, has truly distinguished herself by earning one the highest scores of the team. “If I’m being honest… I really want to go to Disney,” said Youd, “But in all seriousness, spending time and studying with friends has its positives too.” 

     Studying and learning with the same people has definitely created a close-knit community within the Academic Decathlon team. After all, studying for hours with the same people weekly tends to form stronger bonds. 11th grader Juana Han finds that going over content she’s weaker at with friends can make up for the hours of studying required. “The best way I study is going over the content I know I’m weaker at and studying with friends,” said Han, “But overall, the team is really nice and makes all the studying worth it.”

     With heads high, the Academic Decathlon team advances to state competitions to take home a win while representing North Atlanta. Let’s wish them luck at states and cheer them on as they make it to nationals!