Victory for SJA! Academic Decathlon Heads to Nationals

March 11, 2026

We are thrilled to announce a historic performance by our Junior High Academic Decathlon teams ("AcaDeca") at this past weekend's Regional Competition. For the fourth consecutive year, SJA is advancing to the National Competition!


With 30 students from grades 5–8 participating, our teams demonstrated incredible dedication and school spirit.


The Results

Our two teams swept the top spots, continuing a 10-year streak of winning the Super Quiz:

  • Gold Team: 1st Place Overall, 1st Place Super Quiz, and 1st Place Logic.
  • Blue Team: 2nd Place Overall and 2nd Place Super Quiz.


Individual Gold Medalists:

  • Celine Banzon (Current Events)
  • Terri Bekhit (Religion)
  • Matias Ponce (Social Studies)
  • Anya Larrabure (English)
  • Elsie Peschke (Science)


Additional Honors:

  • Evie Malfavon: 2nd Place (Current Events - Blue Team)
  • Maite Larrabure: 3rd Place (Literature - Gold Team)
  • Julianne Chandra: 3rd Place (Fine Art - Gold Team)


More Than Just a Competition

The goal of AcaDeca is to make learning fun and inspiring. This year’s highlights included a field trip to the zoo to study mammals and a special blessing from Father Michael of St. Elizabeth Seton.


"The most rewarding part is seeing our students grow in confidence and leadership. They learn to work as a team while excelling individually." — Sylvia and Zarina Berens


What’s Next?

As our Gold Team prepares for the National stage—where SJA has placed 2nd for the last three years—we thank our former high school decathletes, all the parent volunteers, and the entire community for their support.

Go Crusaders!