MacArthur High School Repeats as District Academic Decathlon Champ; 9 Students Head to Regional Competition

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Eleven teams competed in this year’s district Academic Decathlon®, representing 10 AISD high schools.

MacArthur High School scored 26,547.7 points and an 8,800.5-point lead over the second-place campus, taking home first place for a fifth consecutive year.

The school snagged top honors thanks to students Logan Haagenson-Jiménez, Kealsy Rincón, Alan Álavrez, Sophia Valenciano, Andrés Juárez, Adán Mendoza, Katie Sánchez, and Samuel Moreno, as well as coach Park Van and assistant coach Stephanie Debettignies.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my students,” said Van. “They are some of the best and brightest in our district. They inspire me with their love of learning. While winning is fun, the most important thing is to have fun and support each other — that is what being a team means.”

Ninety-four students competed in this year’s district Academic Decathlon®, representing every high school campus. AISD is categorized as a large district in Region 6. MacArthur High School hosted the competition.

The 2024-25 district Academic Decathlon® tested students’ knowledge of the theme “Our Changing Climate.” Decathletes spent nights, weekends, lunchtimes, and free time preparing in 10 subject areas: art, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, social science, and speech. Since 2020, the district competition has no longer had speech and interview events due to a shortage of volunteers. The Super Quiz was also not included in the district competition this year due to time constraints with grading. Click here to learn more about the U.S. Academic Decathlon® curricular topics for the 2024-2025 school year competition.

Academic Decathlon®was founded in 1968 and became a nationwide competition in 1981. MacArthur High School’s Academic Decathlon® program has a long history of achievement, sending students to state and nationals.

MacArthur’s Academic Decathlon team takes home the District Champion title for the fifth consecutive year in the Academic Decathlon competition.

Per Academic Decathlon® policies, each group of nine students is grouped into three divisions based on grade point average (GPA): Varsity (3.199 GPA and below), Scholastic (3.2 to 3.799 GPA), and Honors (3.8 GPA and above).

“Academic Decathlon® is a great program that showcases the diversity of our students on our campuses,” said Dr. Susan Pelezo, executive director of AISD’s Advanced Academics Office. “It is a program where students of all GPA levels can participate. It is what makes it a very unique program.”

Headed to Regionals

​​Nine students will go to the Regional competition: Logan Haagenson-Jiménez, Kealsy Rincón, Alan Álavrez, Sophia Valenciano, Andrés Juárez, Adán Mendoza, Katie Sánchez, Samuel Moreno and Brandon Guzmán. The regional competition will be held at Dekaney High School on January 24 and 25, 2025.

Overall Score Team Rankings — Large Division District, Region 6

1st Place — MacArthur HS with 26,547.7 points
2nd Place — Aldine HS with 17,747.2 points
3rd Place — Avalos P-TECH School Team B with 17,689.3 points
4th Place — Blanson CTE HS with 17,569.0 points
5th Place — Carver HS with 16,430.3 points
6th Place — Avalos P-TECH School Team A with 15,283.9 points
7th Place — Victory Early College HS with 13,008.6 points
8th Place — Davis HS with 9,822.2 points
9th Place — La Promesa with 7,979.3 points
10th Place — Nimitz HS with 6,707.9 points
11th Place — Eisenhower HS with 6,384.7 points

Top Scorers — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 5,592.9 points
2nd Place — Kealsy Rincón from MacArthur HS with 4,445.4 points
3rd Place — Alan Álavrez from MacArthur HS with 3,811.1 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 4,416.1 points
2nd Place — Andrés Juárez from MacArthur HS with 4,035.4 points
3rd Place — Adán Mendoza from MacArthur HS with 3,901.4 points

Varsity
1st Place — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 4,305.0 points
2nd Place — Samuel Moreno from MacArthur HS with 3,752.9 points
3rd Place — Edward Islas from Avalos P-TECH School Team B with 3,654.3 points

Top Scores in Art Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 660.0 points
2nd Place — Kealsy Rincón from MacArthur HS with 600.0 points
3rd Place — Edgar Barbosa from Aldine HS with 480.0 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Andrés Juárez from MacArthur HS with 580.0 points
2nd Place — Esperanza Castañeda from MacArthur HS with 500.0 points
3rd Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 420.0 points

Varsity
1st Place (tie) — Edward Islas from Avalos P-TECH School Team B with 400.0 points
1st Place (tie) — Alyssa Leija from Carver HS with 400.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Brandon Guzmán from MacArthur HS with 380.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 380.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Jesse Corona Tapia from Nimitz HS with 380.0 points
3rd Place — José Mascorro from MacArthur HS with 360.0 points

Top Scores in Economics Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 640.0 points
2nd Place — Mauricio Martínez from Aldine HS with 520.0 points
3rd Place — Jasmine Kesinger from Aldine HS with 420.0 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 520.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Jayren Ward from Carver HS with 380.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Alexa Biggs from Victory Early College HS with 380.0 points
3rd Place — Yaromi Lara from Aldine HS with 360.0 points

Varsity
1st Place — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 600.0 points
2nd Place — Edward Islas from Avalos P-TECH School with 500.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Jasmin Cardoso from Blanson CTEHS with 400.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Jesús Ontiveros from Blanson CTEHS with 400.0 points

Top Scores in Essay Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 950.0 points
2nd Place — Lea Paniagua from MacArthur HS with 900.0 points
3rd Place — Priya Jagarnauth from Victory Early College HS with 850.0 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 887.5 points
2nd Place — Yaromi Lara from Aldine HS with 875.0 points
3rd Place — Chinamerem V. Ugo from Davis HS with 862.5 points

Varsity
1st Place — Samuel Moreno from MacArthur HS with 950.0 points
2nd Place — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 925.0 points
3rd Place — Brandon Guzmán from MacArthur HS with 825.0 points

Top Scores in Language & Literature Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 640.0 points
2nd Place — Kealsy Rincón from MacArthur HS with 500.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Natalie Mazariegos from Carver HS with 440.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Cielo Hernández from Victory Early College HS with 440.0 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Andrés Juárez from MacArthur HS with 520.0 points
2nd Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 420.0 points
3rd Place — Adán Mendoza from MacArthur HS with 400.0 points

Varsity
1st Place — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 520.0 points
2nd Place — Samuel Moreno from MacArthur HS with 420.0 points
3rd Place — Edward Islas from Avalos P-TECH School Team B with 400.0 points

Top Scores in Mathematics Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Edgar Barbosa from Aldine HS with 600.0 points
2nd Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 542.9 points
3rd Place — Natalie Mazariegos from Carver HS with 485.7 points

Scholastic
1st Place (tie) — Andrés Juárez from MacArthur HS with 542.9 points
1st Place (tie) — Edmundo Plancarte from Aldine HS with 542.9 points
2nd Place — Ricardo Vargas from Avalos P-TECH School with 457.1 points
3rd Place (tie) — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 428.6 points
3rd Place (tie) — Kelly Wang from Victory Early College HS with 428.6 points

Varsity
1st Place — Rafael Perales from Blanson CTEHS with 428.6 points
2nd Place (tie) — Jasmin Cardoso from Blanson CTEHS with 400.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 400.0 points
3rd Place — Valery Salvador from Avalos P-TECH School with 371.4 points

Top Scores in Music Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 680.0 points
2nd Place — Kealsy Rincón from MacArthur HS with 540.0 points
3rd Place — Lea Paniagua from MacArthur HS with 420.0 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 580.0 points
2nd Place — Esperanza Castañeda from MacArthur HS with 480.0 points
3rd Place — Adán Mendoza from MacArthur HS with 440.0 points

Varsity
1st Place — José Mascorro from MacArthur HS with 460.0 points
2nd Place — Rafael Perales from Blanson CTEHS with 360.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 320.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Samuel Moreno from MacArthur HS with 320.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Brandon Guzmán from MacArthur HS with 320.0 points

Top Scores in Science Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 780.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Kealsy Rincón from MacArthur HS with 660.0 points
2nd Place (tie) — Alan Álavrez from MacArthur HS with 660.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Edgar Barbosa from Aldine HS with 600.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Mauricio Martínez from Aldine HS with 600.0 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 640.0 points
2nd Place — Adán Mendoza from MacArthur HS with 620.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Andrés Juárez from MacArthur HS with 600.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Esperanza Castañeda from MacArthur HS with 600.0 points

Varsity
1st Place — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 620.0 points
2nd Place — Brandon Guzmán from MacArthur HS with 600.0 points
3rd Place — José Mascorro from MacArthur HS with 540.0 points

Top Scores in Social Science Event — Large Division, Region 6

Honor
1st Place — Kealsy Rincón from MacArthur HS with 720.0 points
2nd Place — Logan Haagenson-Jiménez from MacArthur HS with 700.0 points
3rd Place — Mauricio Martínez from Aldine HS with 600.0 points

Scholastic
1st Place — Adán Mendoza from MacArthur HS with 580.0 points
2nd Place — Andrés Juárez from MacArthur HS with 540.0 points
3rd Place — Sophia Valenciano from MacArthur HS with 520.0 points

Varsity
1st Place — Katie Sánchez from MacArthur HS with 540.0 points
2nd Place — Samuel Moreno from MacArthur HS with 520.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — José Mascorro from MacArthur HS with 500.0 points
3rd Place (tie) — Edward Islas from Avalos P-TECH School with 500.0 points