Hopi – Standouts At Academic Decathlon

Polacca, Ariz.-Hopi High School’s Academic Decathlon team proved competitive at the regional contest as the Bruins placed 14th coming out ahead of Williams and Chino Valley. None of the other reservation schools in Northern Arizona fielded an academic decathlon team.

St. Johns, a perennial winner at the regional meet, took first place. The Academic Decathlon is a battle about nine different academic areas and a Super-quiz, which focuses on a different topic each year. This year the Super-quiz topic was the Internet. Each team can field nine players. The academic nine from Hopi High were Stet Lomayestewa, Tennille Whitehair, LaTawnya Shattuck, Ester Batala, Marian Josytewa, Hester Sekayumptewa, Marlena Selina, Diedra Leslie and Erika Sinquah.

Hopi High Academic Decathlon Coach Lynn Fredericks said the Bruins continue to improve each year. Hopi High placed a respectable seventh in the Super Quiz, which is operated much like a game show. The Bruin Super-quiz members were Lomayestewa, Josytewa, Leslie, Shattuck, Sekayumkptewa and Sinquah

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“All of our students did well in at least one area,” she said. “We should be proud of all the students who participated in this. It takes courage to participate against other students in front of other people.” Sekayumkptea scored the most amount of points overall for Hopi and placed 13th in the interview category. Sinquah placed 13th in math and 18th in the Superquiz. Josytewa grabbed 11th place in the language and literature category, which focused on the book, Our Beloved Country.

Hopi High also placed ninth in the math category. Coach Fredericks said Academic Decathlon is an important program because it gives students experience in subjects that will help them prepare for college. She noted that Hopi High usually has the toughest time in the speech and interview category. She said this is for two reasons: First, many of the students aren’t used to talking in front of a large group of strangers; and, second, English is not their first language.

“A lot of times they freeze up and change the subject, which they were prepared to speak about,” she said. The Hopi High Academic Decathlon team prepared for the regional match by competing in meets at Springerville and Kingman. They plan on competing in the Super-quiz category at Chandler High School March 8 and then observing the national competition April 10 in Phoenix.

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