PASADENA, Texas - Students from J. Frank Dobie High School and Pasadena Memorial High School recently showcased their academic decathlon skills at two prestigious state competitions. The Longhorns competed in the Thomas E. Moseley State Championship Finals in San Antonio, which featured the top 30 large/medium and top 10 small schools in Texas. Meanwhile, the Memorial Mavericks excelled at this year's Frisco Invitational State Finals, competing against the next 40 large/medium schools. 

Dobie students faced the highest level of competition in the state, tackling 10 challenging events, including essay, speech, interview, science, literature, music, social science, math, art, and economics. The Dobie longhorns placed 18th among the top large schools in the state.

Dobie High School Members and Awards:

• Andrew Ullman: Silver medal in Economics (Honors category)

• Shazia Mustapha

• Hannah Nguyen

• Jesus Gomez: Bronze medal in Essay, Silver medal in Speech (Scholastic category)

• Victoria Gomez

• Leon Vu

• Diego Bonilla: Bronze medal in Music (Varsity category)

• Ray Williams

• Andre Gordon

Meanwhile, Memorial had one of the best showings at a state finals meet in its schools history at the Academic Decathlon Frisco meet as it included the same challenging events. The team finished 4th place in the large school division with a score of 40,130. They won 14 medals, and boasted the first and second place overall winners. The two overall winners took home scholarships of 2,500 and $2,000, respectively.

PMHS Team Members and Awards:

• Erica Rivas: Silver medal in Art, Bronze medals in Economics and Music

• John Tran: Gold medal in Interview (perfect score of 1000)

• Brandon Ingersoll: Silver medal in Music

• Luis Portillo: Gold medals in Economics and Literature, Bronze medals in Social Science and Speech, second overall in Scholastic category, $2000 scholarship

• Gerardo Gonzalez: Silver medals in Art, Bronze medals in Literature, Math, and Social Science, first overall in Varsity category, $2500 scholarship

• Arturo Valles: Silver medal in Interview

Both schools demonstrated outstanding academic achievements and brought home numerous medals, showcasing their dedication and hard work.