Ishan Negi ’18
EE Staff Writer
March 5th proved itself to be a rewarding day for the Trumbull High School Academic Decathlon team. After months of practicing and learning the syllabus on the topic of India, nine students walked home with 35 medals and a state championship trophy, a feat that seemed near impossible for the past 4 years.
Competitors from all around Connecticut, as well as the state of Maryland, spent the day competing across a variety of subjects: math, economics, science, social science, literature, art, music, essay, speech, and interview. The tests challenge the students’ understanding of topics that they have learned over the previous months and are set up like a mental marathon (thus the name Decathlon).
Sophomores Lalith Gannavaram and Saloni Shah of the honors division secured themselves 6 and 1 medals, respectively. In the scholastic division, sophomores Ishan Negi and Viraj Dongaonkar earned 6 and 4 medals respectively, and in the varsity division, junior Alexandra Dima won 9 medals, and her sophomore counterpart Daejah Woolery won 8. Freshmen alternates Danielle Cross and Srishti Pithadia were able to contribute to the team effort, with the former gaining 1 medal by the end of the day.
When asked about the team’s performance, Lalith stated that “This year’s experience was overall successful; I feel that the team is very well rounded and has great potential to do well in the future.” He went on to talk about the divisional achievements that were made, saying that “All three divisions performed well, and the number of medals we received were gratifying.”
Overall, Lalith Gannavaram, Ishan Negi, and Alexandra Dima all placed 3rd, 2nd, and 1st in their respective divisions. Now, Trumbull High’s very own look to make a national appearance in Anchorage, Alaska, where they will compete with other fellow state champions from April 28-30.