Woodbridge High School’s Academic Decathlon Team won the county championship, marking their eighth win in nine years!
The announcement came during the February 7, 2024 awards ceremony at Orange Coast College, where medals were presented to the top teams and individual scholars. After competing against high schools and earning an impressive 43,504.4 points at the two-day Orange County Academic Decathlon, the Warriors secured first place and will now advance to the state competition in Santa Clara from March 20 to March 23.
“Our Woodbridge High School team members were ecstatic about their first-place overall score and relieved to see that their hard work paid off despite the strong competition. They are now excited to head on to the state competition and give it their best,’” said Head Coach Samuel Lee. ”Since scoring our first victory in 2006, the Warriors have been a model of excellence through consistency and collaboration, securing four consecutive championships from 2017 to 2020 before reclaiming the top spot in 2022. We have been fortunate to have teams that are ready to continue this tradition and hope to continue the legacy in the future”
Contributing to the success of the Woodbridge team, Henry Robbins earned an impressive 9,154.2 points out of a possible 10,000, making him the competition’s top individual scorer and receiving $1,000 in scholarship money. His score reflects outstanding performance across all academic areas, including art, science, economics and history. In addition to Robbins' achievement, several Woodbridge team members were among the highest scorers in the entire competition and received individual accolades and financial scholarships. Shandi Chen claimed the 2nd highest score, earning $800, and Eli Wilson secured the 3rd highest score, receiving $700.
Also heading to the state competition is University High School's team, which placed second overall. This is the seventh time Uni has placed in the top five, qualifying for the California Academic Decathlon.
“Our team has shown remarkable dedication, perseverance and teamwork throughout the season, and earning a spot at the state competition is a testament to their hard work," said Uni Coach Christopher Esposito. "We’re thrilled for the opportunity to compete at the next level and proudly represent our school among the best in California."
Overall Team Results
The Orange County Academic Decathlon was held on Jan. 25 and Feb. 1. Only four Orange County teams advanced to the state competition and IUSD has two of the four schools advancing!
Below are the top four teams that will advance to the state competition and their scores.
Division 1
- Woodbridge High, Irvine Unified School District, 43,504.4 (first place)
- Valencia High, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, 41,318.5 (second place)
- University High, Irvine Unified School District, 38,680.8 (third place)
Division 2
- Bolsa Grande High, Garden Grove Unified School District, 39,487.3 (first place)
Congratulations to the Woodbridge and Uni teams! Go get ’m at state!