20-03-2025
ECISD Decathlon teams capture 3 of the top spots at state competition
Mar. 20—Three of the top 10 Small School academic decathlon teams in Texas are from Ector County ISD. New Tech Odessa, Odessa Collegiate Academy, and the STEM Academy at UTPB all qualified for the Decathlon State Meet contested in Frisco.
New Tech Odessa took third place in the rigorous competition, OCA finished in sixth place, and the STEM Academy, in its first year of decathlon, was tenth.
NTO's Rohan Reed placed 2nd overall in the Scholastic category, capturing 1st place in the individual contests for Art and Science.
Betanya Hailu from OCA earned a perfect score, and first place, on her speech.
Maci Jo Baker was the top scorer for STEM Academy.
Others who won individual contests were Kevin Enriquez (NTO) in Scholastic Science; Mary Rivera (NTO) Varsity Math and Speech; Yadiel Hernandez-Rodriguez (NTO) Varsity Interview; Elizabeth Lopez (NTO) Varsity Speech; Daniel Oyebanji (OCA) Honors Art; and Mallory Hough (OCA) Honors Art.
"We are incredibly proud of all of our Decathlon students and their coaches," ECISD Director of Advanced Academic Services Kristen Vesely said in a news release. "Decathlon is extremely challenging with the diverse range of topics, the amount of study time it involves, and the intensity of the competition.
"Yet, those are the same elements that lead to the student's personal growth, great sense of achievement, and confidence gained through their effort," added Vesely.
Academic Decathlon is made up of 10 events covering 7 subjects — science, literature, art, music, social science, economics, and math, plus a Super Quiz. All are built around a central theme of study. Competitors take tests, write essays, and deliver speeches as part of the 10 events; the Super Quiz is a true team battle to answer questions in a game-show style format. The students and their coaches spend months studying and preparing for these contests.
Each high school enters a team of nine students: 3 Honor students (3.80 — 4.00 GPA), 3 Scholastic students (3.20 — 3.799 GPA), and 3 Varsity students (0.00 — 3.199 GPA).
Team Rosters:
New Tech Odessa
— Yoana Picazo — Head Coach
— Neftali Silva — Assistant Coach
Honors:
— Antonio Apodaca
— Adrian Rodriguez
— Joel Ramos
Scholastic:
— Rohan Reed
— Kevin Enriquez
— Ethan Palomares
Varsity:
— Mary Rivera
— Yadiel Hernandez Rodriguez
— Elizabeth Lopez
Alternates:
— Javier Hernandez
— Lorena Spruill
— Maria Losoya
Odessa Collegiate
— Mikal Crowder — Head Coach
— Lydia Roundtree — Assistant Coach
Honors:
— Daniel Oyebanji
— Mallory Hough
— Betanya Hailu
Scholastic:
— Madison Garcia
— Roxanna Martinez
— Zada Cobos
Varsity:
— Sephira Guitierrez
— Josh Selby
Alternates:
— Rianna Ornelas
— Jocelyn Balderas
STEM Academy
— Iva Hodges — Head Coach
— Nicole Olivas — Assistant Coach
Honors:
— Elise Jones
— Maci Jo Baker
— Karli Kershaw
Scholastic:
— Kamryn Kershaw
— Miles Mundkowsky
— Thomas Harlow
Varsity:
— Isaac Rangel
— Lily Biggerstaff
— Haylee Vargas
Alternates:
— Genesis Cruz
— Iris Ramirez
— Ilene Kurtz
