For the sixth year in a row, the Frenship High School Academic Decathlon team emerged victorious at the Region 1 Large School Competition, outperforming teams from Odessa High, Odessa Permian, Midland High, and Midland Legacy. The Tigers also brought home first place in the Super Quiz event.
Led by Coach Cathryn Wright, the team’s success reflects their hours of dedication and preparation for the competition. The students advancing to the state competition include Thomas Wylie, Nathan Layton, Issac Deleon, Julie Peterson, Derek Amokwaw, Ashlyn Floyd, Rowan Halliday, Carson Roberts, and Elliot Alvarado.
The Academic Decathlon is a rigorous competition where students compete in 10 events: Speech, Interview, Essay, Math, Language and Literature, Science, Social Science, Music, Art, and Economics. Each team consists of nine students divided into three divisions: Honors, Scholastic, and Varsity. Each year, the competition centers around a specific theme, requiring students to master over 600 pages of academic content in addition to preparing for speech, interview, and essay events.
At the Region 1 competition, Frenship’s students competed in both subjective and objective events. Subjective events, such as Speech and Interview, required students to think on their feet, delivering prepared and impromptu speeches and answering interview questions under pressure. The objective events consisted of timed multiple-choice exams across various academic disciplines, testing students’ depth of knowledge and critical thinking skills. Additionally, the Super Quiz event brought students together in teams to answer a series of challenging questions.
“I believe the academic excellence of Frenship High School and FHS's teachers contribute to the repeated success of FHS's Academic Decathlon team as well as students who prioritize learning and challenging themselves,” said Wright. “I also believe the support from Mr. Hernandez is vital to the continued success of this program and team. Mr. Thomson, our district representative for Aca Dec, is also very helpful.”
Preparation for the competition is intensive, with students practicing speeches, interviews, and writing throughout the year. They participate in practice meets with Lubbock ISD schools in the fall and engage in study sessions to master the extensive material.
As they advance to the state competition, students will refine their focus, diving deeper into specific subject areas to further enhance their performance.
“Advancing to the state competition means for the team that their hard work has paid off, and they are motivated to continue putting in the work,” said Wright. “At this point, students will focus on one or two events to study intensely and learn inside and out to continue improving the depth of their knowledge and increase their scores.”
Beyond medals and accolades, Coach Wright hopes that students gain confidence in their abilities and recognize the value of hard work and perseverance.
“I hope they take away confidence that they can achieve their goals and are capable of far more than they realize with hard work and effort,” said Wright. “I hope they learn the importance of supporting others in our pursuit of perfection. I also hope they are better prepared for the world beyond high school.”
Wright is very proud of how the Tigers placed in the competition but is prouder of who they’ve become as young adults.
“Beyond academic growth, I have seen personal growth in these students that reminds me that this generation is going to do amazing things,” said Wright. “These students support each other to reach individual and team goals. They are academically brilliant and excellent teammates. The students don't just grow academically, they grow in their humanity. I'm impressed daily by this team.”
The Academic Decathlon State Competition will be held in Frisco on February 28 through March 2.
Very impressive work, students! We are extremely proud of your hard work!