Academic Decathlon team earns national medals

Academic Decathlon

The Seneca Valley Academic Decathlon placed seventh in the nation and earned four individual national medals at the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) National Competition. Back in March, the SV Academic Decathlon team took first place at the (USAD) State Competition in Harrisburg, which advanced them to represent Pennsylvania for the USAD National Competition that was held virtually last month.

The top high school per state qualified for Nationals, and students competed for all 10 events.

In addition to placing seventh in the nation, junior Ophelia Crano won the bronze for Art, senior Ashley Kemp earned the bronze for Essay, and junior Gavin Cress won both a bronze in Speech and a silver in Interview. Special accolades were rewarded to junior Rohin Jayaraman for being the highest-scoring member of the team and to junior Kaia Satory who earned the Most Valuable Team Member Award.

The Seneca Valley Academic Decathlon team members include Ophelia Crano, Shivani Umesh, Roshini Umesh, Rohin Jayaraman, Kaia Satory, Heath Lyon, Zachary DeVault, Ashley Kemp, and Gavin Cress.

“Reflecting on this season, which focused on the theme ‘Technology and Humanity,’ I am incredibly proud of how our students embraced the challenging material and how they represented our community on a national stage,” said Seneca Valley Senior High School Teacher and Academic Decathlon coach Mr. David Reichard. “The connections they made with peers from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska, forming lasting friendships, highlight the spirit and camaraderie fostered by this unique program. Looking ahead, we are excited for the 2024-2025 season, which will be centered around the theme, ‘Our Changing Climate.’ This promises to be another engaging and enlightening experience, and we are eager to start!”