For the West High Academic Decathlon team, the secret to their most successful season in nearly three decades wasn’t just raw intelligence, it was an unparalleled dedication to the grind.
Following months of intense preparation, late night study sessions, and weekend scrimmages, the team captured third place at the California state competition of 2026, marking a historic milestone for the program.
“This team was the hardest working team I’ve ever had, and if hard work was what it took to win, then this would be the team to win,” noted Head Coach Mrs. Hettinger. “And they did. This is the highest West High has placed at State since 1995. I am extremely proud of them!”
The historic finish is especially impressive given the region’s tough talent pool. “California is likely the most competitive state along with Texas,” noted Keene Lei (12). “The two teams that beat us went on to place first and second at nationals.”
While the podium finish at State was the team’s crowning achievement, their momentum didn’t stop there. The state granted special invitations to top-performing individuals. Team Captain Tanner Donald (12) and his co-captain, Lei earned the honor to travel and compete at Nationals in person, while other members including Xuanyan Li (10), Ali Shaikh (12), and Ananyavarshine Muralidaren (11) competed in the Online National Octathlon, securing multiple individual medals.
“Being at Nationals was like a victory lap.“Tanner and Keene got to go in person, and getting to interact with all the people there was quite a privilege. I was just beaming with pride for them the entire time,” Mrs. Hettinger noted.
For Donald, setting foot on the national stage was the epitome of his high school career.
“From being a freshman who didn’t make the team to being a senior and the top scorer and captain, I think Nationals symbolizes that growth,” Donald recalled. “Every year in Acadec I improved, and being able to go to Nationals in my final year reflects that upward trend I experienced.”
The in-person competition provided a unique atmosphere for the students, particularly during the speech events. Rather than the traditional one-on-one setup with judges, competitors delivered their speeches in rooms alongside other decathletes from across the country.
“Hearing speeches from some of the highest-scoring students in the nation and discussing our own experiences in Acadec really opened up the competition for me to realize how many people compete,” Donald explained.
Behind the individual accolades and the national invitations lies a tightly knit nine-member family. The team’s strength came from a culture of mutual accountability. The team routinely pushed each other to beat personal records, sometimes even betting buzzcuts on science scores to drive healthy competition.
Whether they were studying together during a six-hour car ride to Santa Clara or running through impromptu speeches the night before a meet, the collaborative effort was consistent and even brought them closer together.
“I think we were successful this year because all nine people on our team wanted to do their best,” Donald remarked. “We stayed up late on weekdays and had practices on weekends to quiz each other and compete with each other.We all were willing to sacrifice our time for success,” he shared.
As the season comes to a close, the decathletes hope their revolutionary achievement of 2026 will inspire the next wave of competitors to step up to the challenge.
“Don’t be intimidated by the amount of effort that goes into Acadec,” Donald advised as a final note. “Yes, it is a lot of work, and you have to sacrifice a lot of your time and other commitments, but it is worth it.” Join the Academic Decathlon family and help carry their lasting legacy forward. You sure won’t regret it.
