MARCH 18—Beverly’s Academic Decathlon team flew to Santa Clara to participate in California Academic Decathlon (CAD)’s annual state competition for the sixth consecutive year. From the 18 -22, decathletes participated in events beginning with objective testing and ending with the award ceremony.
The theme for this year’s Academic Decathlon was the Roaring Twenties, with a broad curriculum ranging from art to social science.
“My favorite subject from this year was definitely social science. I really enjoyed learning about the past to see how far we had come from that point to the modern day,” said sophomore Daniyel Borodin.
Decathletes had the opportunity to learn more about a defining era in American history, drawing connections between different aspects of this decade to gain a stronger understanding of the world.
“I really loved learning about [the Roaring Twenties] from the different perspectives that each guide offered. Learning about the overall aesthetic of flappers was fascinating, especially since it was a way for young women to regain confidence,” said Co-Captain junior Daria Serheyeva.
Decathletes were tested on seven different subjects centered around this theme: art, economics, literature, mathematics, music, science and social science.
“Preparing for objectives was definitely intense this year. Everyone was hunched over notes, flipping pages and highlighting passages, which motivated me as we all worked toward the same goal,” said junior Emily Song.
After the objectives was the Super Quiz, a testing challenge that requires the entire team to truly put their skills together to the test.
“It was really refreshing working with my Scholastic teammates after taking seven tests in a row by myself the previous day. Our category got every question right except for the 2 final math questions, but we did expect and account for it beforehand,” said sophomore Ash Lee.
Finally, decathletes wrapped up their subjectives with a speech presentation done in the afternoon. They had previously completed their interviews and essays online at Beverly’s campus on March 14th.
“Speech is my favorite subject because I can connect with the judges. I felt proud when I received a medal in speech because I put a lot of time and effort into [doing well],” said sophomore Grace Chang.
With the culmination of all testing, decathletes celebrated with the Roaring Twenties Ball, or nicknamed “Nerd Ball.”
“Nerd Ball was so fun and memorable. [It was] genuinely just a room full of people who had been studying for at least three days straight, so everyone’s energy was off the charts. It was the perfect night to unwind after the days of objective tests and competition,” said senior Mica Berg.
While the official team members were wrapping up their state competition, Beverly’s junior team members, sophomore Hannah Davis, junior Nima Farnad and sophomore Sophia Bakshian were representing Beverly from home by competing in the Hepthathlon.
“Since there were a lot fewer people doing the heptathlon, things felt a lot closer than other Acadeca testing. Sophia, Hannah and I had a bunch of funny conversations, and it was overall a fun experience,” said junior Nima Farnad.
The Decathletes found out their results at the awards ceremony at the end of the trip. They earned the following honors:
- Captain Junior Lea Levy: Gold Medal for Top-Scoring Decathlete on Beverly’s Team, Silver Medal in Art, Silver Medal in Social Science, Bronze Medal in Literature and Bronze Medal in Essay
- Sophomore Jion Jung: Gold Medal in Literature and Bronze Medal in Interview
- Sophomore Ash Lee: Silver Medal in Social Science and Bronze Medal in Science
- Sophomore Grace Chang: Silver Medal in Speech and Bronze Medal in Mathematics
- Junior Emily Song: Bronze Medal in Music
- Senior Mica Berg: Bronze Medal in Speech
- Senior Peter Kang: Bronze Medal in Mathematics
In addition to being recognized for their high scores in each subject, decathletes were also recognized for their overall scores. Below are the students who received an overall score of over 7,000 and 8,000 points, and will receive pins.
- 7K Club (decathletes with an overall score of over 7,000)
- Sophomore Jion Jung, Sophomore Ash Lee and Junior Daria Serheyeva
- 8K Club (decathletes with an overall score of over 8,000)
- Junior Lea Levy
On top of these recognitions, Coach Ann-Marie Fine, and Chang received the Kindness is Free Ambassador medal for their participation in the Rose Parade in January.
With the completion of the Academic Decathlon competition and the creation of lifelong memories, the decathletes flew back with unforgettable bonds.
“My favorite memories were playing card games, hanging out in the zen room after [doing our] speeches, and going to Whole Foods like a little family,” said Levy.
While Decathletes reminisced about the fun memories they made, it was particularly bittersweet for seniors.
“I had some of the best memories from this class, and I had an amazing time being part of the AcaDeca family. To the future team, I wish you all the best of luck. I’ll always be cheering for you guys,” said senior Peter Kang.
On that note, Decathletes have begun preparing for the 2026-27 Academic Decathlon theme, Journeys of Transportation: An Exploration of Travel and Transportation.
“I’m excited about the theme for next year, because there are so many possibilities of crossover into other subjects. For our future Acadeca team, work hard and do your best. Your personal and team results are the culmination of the efforts you put into this endeavor. I can’t wait to see how well you do!” said Fine.
