MacArthur High School Academic Decathlon Team Finishes Top 10 in Texas at State Competition

Students from MacArthur HS and Avalos P-TECH earned state awards.

Pictured is the MacArthur High School Academic Decathlon team.

Earning a ninth-place finish at the 2026 Texas Academic Decathlon State Competition, MacArthur High School’s Academic Decathlon team ranked among the top large high schools across the state.

Top teams from Texas competed at Collin College in Frisco on Feb. 28. Representing MacArthur, students took part in 10 events: Art, Economics, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, Essay, Speech, and Interview.

In the large school division, MacArthur accumulated a total score of 35,768 points.

Among the team’s individual accolades, Andrés Juárez earned first in Speech as well as second in Essay.

Other MacArthur students earning individual medals included:

• Yareli Escobedo, second place in Music and third place in Literature
• Samuel Moreno, third place in Mathematics and third place in Literature (tie)
• Nayenci Rodríguez, third place in Literature (tie)

This strong overall performance, combined with individual honors, propelled MacArthur to finish ninth out of 20 large high schools at the state level.

​Logan Haagenson-Jiménez, Jacqueline Alfaro, José Sosa, Andrés Juárez, Nayenci Rodríguez, Kati Castillo, Nicolás Díaz, Yareli Escobedo, and Samuel Moreno represented MacArthur at the competition. The team is coached by Park Van, a mathematics teacher, and Stephanie Debettignies, a speech teacher.

​The 2026 theme, “The Roaring ’20s,” asked students to explore the decade’s history, culture, and innovations across disciplines.

MacArthur’s success continues a milestone year for Aldine ISD Academic Decathlon programs. Earlier this year, for the first time in district history, two AISD teams — MacArthur and Avalos P-TECH School — advanced to the state competition.

Avalos P-TECH senior Vanessa Cerrillo also earned an individual first-place finish in the Interview competition during the state event.

The Academic Decathlon challenges students to master college-level material across multiple subject areas while also demonstrating strong communication skills through speech, essay, and interview events.

The students’ performance reflects Aldine ISD’s commitment to expanding academic opportunities and preparing students to think critically, communicate effectively, and compete at the highest levels.