By Richard Bammer

Call them intellectual champions.

The eight-member Vanden High Academic Decathlon team triumphed Sunday at the North Bay region competition, besting 16 other Bay Area teams.

With a first-place finish, the Travis Unified students have been invited to go on to another test of wits, memory and know-how by representing Solano County at the state competition March 24 to 26 in Santa Clara.

Their latest winning performance at Solano Community College in Fairfield was a no-surprise effort. After all, Vanden squads have won the county competition 22 times in as many years and the California championship during three of those years.

Source: Vanden Academic Decathlon winners: ‘High-caliber kids,’ adviser says – The Vacaville Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Student scholars at Fairfield’s Vanden High walked away Sunday with bragging rights and medals around their necks for their triumph at the Academic Decathlon for the North Bay region.

Winning first place overall, the Travis Unified students have been invited to go on to compete and represent Solano County at the state competition. Campolindo High School took second and also can proceed to represent Contra Costa County at state. Third place was awarded to Basis Independent Silicon Valley Charter from Santa Clara County.

Source: Vanden whiz kids triumph at Academic Decathlon for North Bay region – The Vacaville Reporter

By Kimberly K. Fu

For 20 consecutive years, Vanden High School’s Academic Decathlon teams have done amazing in competitions, and this year was no exception.

The team — which took home 30 medals, 14 of them gold — had the second-highest score at the Bay Region Academic Decathlon Saturday and will advance to the state competition in March.

David Kenyon, Vanden’s Academic Decathlon teacher and advisor, said he was extremely proud of his hardworking, dedicated team.

Nihal Grewal, 17 and a senior this year, has been with the Vanden team since he was a sophomore. It’s a tough, grueling activity, he said, as the team practices for at least an hour every school day and on weekends, and yet, so worth it.

Source: Vanden’s Academic Decathlon squad advances to state competition – The Vacaville Reporter

Vanden High School finished second in the 43rd Bay Regional Academic Decathlon, which ended its competition Saturday with the Super Quiz and awards ceremony.

Campolindo High School, from the Acalanes School District in Lafayette, took first place with 35,993 points. Vanden, part of the Travis School District in Fairfield, had 34,218 points and Basis Independent Silicon Valley Charter from Santa Clara finished third, scoring 32,439 points.

“The dedication of these decathletes is truly impressive. These students have spent countless nights and weekends preparing for this competition and improving their academic knowledge and skills.” Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson said in a statement. “Every participant should feel very accomplished.”

Source: Vanden academic team claims 2nd in Bay Regional decathlon

Education, the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet William Butler Yeats once said, “is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

And the Vanden High School Academic Decathlon team is on fire.

Placing second at the 2021 Bay Regional, hosted by Solano County Office of Education, the Vikings are one of 11 teams from 11 California counties that qualified to move on the state Academic Decathlon, a 10-event scholastic competition for high school scholars.

The decathlon includes comprehensive written exams in art, economics, language and literature, mathematics, music, social science and science. Team members also deliver prepared and impromptu speeches, write an essay and communicate through a conversational interview.

Source: Vanden High team advances to state Academic Decathlon – The Reporter

By Todd R. Hansen

The Vanden High School Academic Decathlon team won the North Bay regional event and will represent Solano County at the 43rd annual state competition.

Vanden accumulated 44,643 points, with Willits High School finishing second with 40,051 points and American Canyon High School finishing third with 38,288 points.

“I am thrilled to see this rigorous academic challenge for students expand to include six counties this year. All of the participating teams worked very hard and represented their schools well. I congratulate every participant, and I’m certain these amazing students will do well in their future endeavors,” Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson said in a statement.

Source: Vanden captures North Bay Academic Decathlon title

By The Reporter

The 2020 North Bay Regional Academic Decathlon. results are in and the Vanden High School team stole the show.

More than 225 students from 15 high schools across Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties participated in the event.

The Academic Decathlon is a competitive event modeled after the Olympics to stimulate academic achievement and honor “athletes of the mind.” The competition, this year bearing the theme “In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness,” provides students the opportunity to participate in an educational forum, which fosters a deep respect for knowledge, cooperation, and self-esteem, organizers said.

Source: Vanden High wins 2020 North Bay Regional Academic Decathlon – The Reporter