IUSD students delivered another strong showing at the 2026 California Academic Decathlon, with Woodbridge and University High Schools placing among the state’s top competitors and University advancing to the national stage.
At the statewide competition, Woodbridge finished seventh overall in Division 1, while University High School placed ninth.
A new challenge emerged this year for teams progressing past the county level: schools had to initially select whether to follow the eligibility rules of the California Academic Decathlon (CAD) or the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD), which differ due to GPA requirements. University opted to compete as a USAD-eligible team, a decision that ultimately positioned the team to advance to State.
The University national competition-bound team includes:
- Samantha Hanson
- Aritri Saha
- Kael Seck
- Avril Zhang
- Mickey Zhao
- Anna Liu
- Tea Vu
- Emily Sun
University is among seven California schools set to compete in the United States Academic Decathlon National Competition, scheduled for April 23–26 in Garden Grove.
The appearance marks a rare opportunity for Orange County. The last time a local team competed at the national level was in 1991.
Congratulations to University on advancing to the national competition and Woodbridge for the strong tournament!