Irving ISD Students Compete at State Academic Decathlon, Nimitz Finishes In Top 10

Irving, TX — Students from Irving ISD delivered strong performances at the Division I Thomas E. Moseley Texas State Academic Decathlon Meet, bringing home multiple medals, scholarships, and a top-10 finish for Nimitz High School.

Nimitz High School finished seventh overall in Texas with 46,087.2 points, continuing a remarkable legacy of academic excellence. The state appearance marked the 39th consecutive year Nimitz has competed at the state meet, and the seventh-place finish represents the 29th time the program has placed in the statewide top 10.

In addition to the overall finish, Nimitz earned recognition as the third-best art team and the fourth-best literature team among all 6A schools in the state.

Several students from Nimitz earned individual medals during the competition. Geraldo Medina won a gold medal in music in the scholastic division. Alan Tavares earned a bronze medal in science in the honors division, while Navjot Sidhu captured bronze in music in the honors division. Wilson Rodas earned a bronze medal in speech in the varsity division.

Jorge Hernandez was the top varsity competitor for the Nimitz team and earned a state qualifying medal. Nicole Medero, Nathalie Maldonado, and Yurem Vargas Cruz also earned state qualifying medals for their performances at the meet.

MacArthur High School also competed at the state meet and placed 18th overall with 41,600 points. Fernando Solis stood out with two silver medals in the varsity division, earning awards in both literature and mathematics. Shafian Tahmid earned a gold medal in essay and a bronze medal in interview in the honors division.

Irving High School competed at the Division II State Meet in Frisco and finished 32nd with 36,774.3 points. Alejandra Ortiz led the team with an impressive performance, winning gold medals in art, literature, and social science, along with a silver medal in economics and a bronze medal in music. Ortiz also finished second overall in the varsity division and received a $2,000 scholarship from the United States Academic Decathlon.

Hunter James also delivered a strong showing, earning bronze medals in art and music. James finished fifth overall in the scholastic division and received a $1,000 scholarship.

District officials praised the students for their dedication and academic achievements, highlighting the continued success of Irving ISD’s Academic Decathlon programs at the state level.