< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Georgia Academic Decathlon GAD State Winners Congratulations to all of the PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon State competition participants and winners. Complete listings of the individual event winners can be found by clicking the event buttons at the bottom of this page. Click here for this year's press release. Division I Champion and Howard Stroud Award Winner Columbus High School of Muscogee County Columbus will compete at the 2026 United States Academic Decathlon competition in Garden Grove, CA. Division I 1st Runner-up and Overall 2nd Place Elite Scholars Academy of Clayton County ESA will compete at the 2026 United States Academic Decathlon competition in Garden Grove, CA. Division I Second Runner-up and Overall 3rd Place North Atlanta High School of Atlanta Public Schools North Atlanta will compete at the 2026 United States Academic Decathlon competition in Garden Grove, CA. Overall 4th Place Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School or Richmond County Davidson will compete at the 2026 United States Academic Decathlon competition in Garden Grove, CA. Division II Champion and USAD Small Online Representative AR Johnson Magnet School of Richmond County Division II First Runner-up Academy of Richmond County Division II Second Runner-Up Monroe Comprehensive High School of Dougherty County USAD Medium Online Representative Model High School of Floyd County USAD Large Online Representative Westover High School of Dougherty County Super Quiz Awards Champion Elite Scholars Academy of Clayton County First Runner-Up Columbus High School of Muscogee County Second Runner-Up North Atlanta High School of Atlanta Public Schools Rookie of the Year Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology Highest scoring team making its first appearance at Georgia Academic Decathlon or returning after an absence of six years. Highest Individual Cumulative Scores Varsity Gold Parker Hazely Columbus High School Muscogee County Silver Jackie Pimentel-Martinez Rockdale Magnet School Rockdale County Bronze Samuel Morris North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Scholastic Gold Ryan Conley North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Silver Landin Wood Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Bronze Aubrey Holmes Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Honor Gold Utkarsh Anand Columbus High School Muscogee County Silver Brynn Proctor Model High School Floyd County Bronze Sun Choi Columbus High School Muscogee County Steve Rule Speech Showcase Varsity Scholastic Honor Anniston Olive Davidson Fine Arts Magnet Richmond County Kaleyah Turmon Davidson Fine Arts Magnet Richmond County Brynn Proctor Model High School Floyd County Individuals Invited to USAD Nationals These students had the highest scores on non-nationally qualified teams. VARSITY Zander Griffin Academy of Richmond Co Richmond County Jackie Pimentel-Martinez Rockdale Magnet School Rockdale County SCHOLASTIC Camille Hanson Washington High School Atlanta Public Schools Josiah Samuels Rockdale Magnet Rockdale County HONOR Kyra Hightower Academy of Richmond Co Richmond County Devin Swims Rockdale Magnet Rockdale County Event Winners ART ECONOMICS ESSAY INTERVIEW LITERATURE MATHEMATICS MUSIC SCIENCE SOCIAL SCIENCE SPEECH < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon (GAD) opens the door to academic achievement for all students. An academic program for high school students, it challenges participants in 10 areas of study: Art, Economics, Essay, Interview Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, and Speech. ​ GAD focuses on the importance of developing well-rounded individuals and provides an antidote to intellectual apathy and underachievement. This program provides incentive for average students, underachieving students, above-average students as well as academically talented students, to become interested in intellectual activities. Georgia Academic Decathlon Congratulations to everyone who attended 2026 State Competition! Winners are posted on the State Winners page . Photos and the press release will be posted soon. GAD MENU ORDER GAD HONOR CORDS GAD WELCOMES YOU TO JOIN US! PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon (GAD) opens the door to academic achievement for all students. An academic program for high school students, it challenges participants in 10 areas of study: Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, and Speech. GAD focuses on the importance of developing well-rounded individuals and provides an antidote to intellectual apathy and underachievement. This program provides incentive for average students, underachieving students, above-average students as well as academically talented students, to become interested in intellectual activities. Learn More Here GAD MENU About GAD GAD Forms GAD Volunteer Information GAD: How Does It Work? GAD Dates and Registration GAD Curriculum GAD State Winners GAD Fall Workshop GAD As An Elective Course GAD State Competition GAD Coaches Manual GAD General FAQs GAD Showcase Speeches Academic Decathlon®, United States Academic Decathlon®, U.S. Academic Decathlon®, USAD, Super Quiz™, and the USAD logo are trademarks and service marks of The United States Academic Decathlon® Association and are used under license. CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Georgia Academic Decathlon 2026 Medalists Mathematics Varsity Gold Parker Hazely Columbus High School Muscogee County Silver Zander Griffin Academy of Richmond Co Richmond County Bronze Kingston Fisher Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Scholastic Gold Ryan Conley North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Silver Christian Castillo Model High School Floyd County Bronze Bryce Sizemore Shaw High School Muscogee County Sophia Fahrni North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Anthony Walker AR Johnson Magnet Richmond County Honor Gold Utkarsh Anand Columbus High School Muscogee County Silver Judy Li Westover High School Doughlerty County Bronze Gabriel Liscano Columbus High School Muscogee County < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Georgia Academic Decathlon 2026 Medalists Essay Varsity Gold Jackie Pimentel-Martinez Rockdale Magnet Rockdale County Silver Ashton Anderson Westover High School Dougherty County Taylon Connor Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Bronze Morgan Herb North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Scholastic Gold Rylie Folsom Model High School Floyd County Silver Ryan Conley North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Bronze Camille Hanson Booker T. Washington High School Atlanta Public Schools Honor Gold Utkarsh Anand Columbus High School Muscogee County Megan Li Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Silver Gabriel Liscano Columbus High School Muscogee County Devin Swims Rockdale Magnet Rockdale County Oluwafikunmi Akinsola Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Colton Crawford AR Johnson Magnet Richmond County Bronze Brynn Proctor Model High School Floyd County Skyler Jones Model High School Floyd County Tracy Nguyen Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Georgia Academic Decathlon 2026 Medalists Interview Varsity Gold Angela Sears Model High School Floyd County Silver Jaydon Poyser Westover High School Dougherty County Bronze Esmeralda Herrera-Teran AR Johnson Magnet Richmond County Scholastic Gold Elvie Jenkins Davidson Fine Arts Magnet Richmond County Silver Rylie Folsom Model High School Floyd County Bronze Isabella Johnson Model High School Floyd County Jaylen Pearson AR Johnson Magnet Richmond County Honor Gold Brynn Proctor Model High School Floyd County Silver Skyler Jones Model High School Floyd County Bronze Dana Garcia Carvajal Shaw High School Muscogee County < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Georgia Academic Decathlon 2026 Medalists Speech *Speech Showcase Presenters Varsity Gold Rihanna Holliman Academy of Richmond Co Richmond County Silver Ja'Shaun Smith Rockdale Magnet Rockdale County Bronze Anniston Olive * Davidson Fine Arts Richmond County Scholastic Gold Josiah Samuels Rockdale Magnet Rockdale County Silver Kaleyah Turmon * Davidson Fine Arts Richmond County Elvie Jenkins Davidson Fine Arts Richmond County Bronze Camille Hanson Booker T. Washington High School Atlanta Public Schools Honor Gold Alaina Pruiett Davidson Fine Arts Richmond County Silver Brynn Proctor * Model High School Floyd County Bronze Jazzanae Holmes Monroe Comp High School Dougherty County < TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON VOLUNTEER INFORMATION Georgia Academic Decathlon GAD Testing Proctor Volunteer Information Date: Friday, February 27, 2026 Time: 2 - 9 p.m. Location: Kennesaw State University The 2026 Testing Proctor Letter and additional details are available for download here. Thank you for your interest in volunteering as a Testing Proctor for this year's 40th Annual PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon State Competition! Testing proctor duties are simple, yet very important. Your responsibilities will include: Helping decathletes find their assigned seats Assisting with Wi-Fi and Testing Site login Monitoring decathletes as they test Alerting the Testing Coordinator of any issues There will be a short training session prior to competition. Dinner will be provided in the Commons during the testing event. We thank you for again for considering volunteering as a PAGE GAD Testing Proctor. Serving as a proctor is a simple but very important and fun way to make a difference in the lives of these high school students who have chosen to make academics a priority. Best regards, Kathy Rechsteiner GAD Testing Coordinator Return to the main GAD Volunteer page < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON VOLUNTEER INFORMATION Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Georgia Academic Decathlon 2026 Medalists Science Varsity Gold Samuel Morris North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Silver Zander Griffin Academy of Richmond Co Richmond County Bronze Tyler Harvey Monroe Comp High School Dougherty County Scholastic Gold Aubrey Homes Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Silver Ryan Conley North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Bronze Journey Jordan Westover High School Dougherty County Jacob Inthasone Elite Scholars Academy Clayton County Sophia Fahrni North Atlanta High School Atlanta Public Schools Honor Gold Ludy Li Westover High School Dougherty County Gabriel Liscano Columbus High School Muscogee County Silver Utkarsh Anand Columbus High School Muscogee County Sun Choi Columbus High School Muscogee County Brynn Proctor Model High School Floyd County Bronze Tyler Swoope Academy of Richmond Co Richmond County < TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON STATE WINNERS Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Georgia Academic Decathlon GAD General FAQs Click here to access the GAD Essay FAQs Click here to access the GAD Speech FAQs Q: Is it OK to offer Academic Decathlon as a class? A: Several Georgia schools do and have very successfully offered the decathlon curriculum as an elective course in the last few years. The number of schools offering the curriculum as an elective course is growing. Some schools do not because few kids would be able to fit it into their schedule due to AP and Fine Arts classes. Q: What kinds of materials should a team purchase? A: A successful team can simply purchase the basic USAD materials (around $700 for a license to download the materials for unlimited students at one school). Additional materials are also available from USAD and some outside vendors. Many coaches find purchasing the practice tests and some other study materials helpful, but not necessary. Occasionally, books and other resources can be found and purchased from the bookstore that relate to the topic (e.g., the year we studied the Lewis and Clark Expedition, a nice Lewis and Clark diary was available for purchase for $2.99). Q: What kind of outside resources should a team acquire? A: Other than the USAD materials just use the library/internet to independently research most things. Q: How can coaches know what is going to be on the tests? A: You can never really know for sure what will be on the tests other than the published allocated percentages for subcategories (e.g., 20% of Art is fundamental concepts). Sometimes, there are questions that surprise the students. The practice and scrimmage tests (USAD packages) are helpful to understand the format of the questions for each subject area. Coaches are never to administer the tests, see the tests, or be in the same room with any of the tests — even if it is after the administration. Q: Are there places to obtain additional resources? A: The official website www.usad.org is a good resource. Images of all of the art pieces are available online as are several other resources including curriculum outlines. Q: How does Academic Decathlon work as an Independent study course work? A: Students who are identified as gifted in their school records can take a course during 9th-12th grades called “Directed Study”. The one-semester class gives gifted students a chance to independently study a topic of interest to them. They select the curriculum and they keep track of their progress and even calculate their own grade (with teacher oversight). Students can weave the Academic Decathlon curriculum into their Directed Study curriculum contract quite easily. Q: How can you prepare students for the nebulous/vague topics (e.g. calculus)? A: Other than paying attention to the types of questions on the practice/scrimmage tests, the best thing coaches can do is to make sure that the students really understand the basic concepts. Some students may have thorough knowledge of several subjects from previous courses and they can be assets to their teammates. Q: How do you recruit students for the team? A: Advertise your team meetings, mention Decathlon in your classes, invite students to bring other students, and always have food available. The minimum number of students you need for a legal team is six students, the maximum number is nine. Finding the right students is the key. The final team must have two to three students whose USAD GPA fits into each of the Honor, Scholastic, and Varsity categories. Q: How often does your team practice? A: Meet at least twice a week for about 2 hours each time. Some teams meet before school and on weekends; others rarely do. However, this is very common in other states like California, Texas, Arizona, and Massachusetts . . Much of what the students need to know, they can learn independently. The more time the team spends practicing together, the better they will know the material, and the better they will do at the events. Q: How do you prepare students for the various subject areas? A: Use the personal resources available to you in your school and family. The areas that teams often need outside help for are Music and Art. Preparing for the performance areas (speech, interview, and essay), however, is very rewarding. It is really rewarding to observe a shy student develop confidence in him/herself as they get better and better at public speaking. After all, this is one of the purposes of Academic Decathlon. < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Georgia Academic Decathlon About GAD The PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon, which began in 1987, focuses on the importance of developing well-rounded individuals and provides an antidote to intellectual apathy and underachievement. This program provides incentive for average students, underachieving students, above-average students as well as academically talented students, to become interested in intellectual activities. Georgia Academic Decathlon opens the door to academic achievement for all students. If you are interested in forming a Decathlon team, or would like to learn more about the program, we invite you to watch the video (approximately seven minutes). Or you can read additional information about the program below. Sponsors for PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon are: PAGE Foundation The Professional Association of Georgia Educators PAGE thanks our partner Kennesaw State University for its valuable contribution to the PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon. How Decathlon Works Academic Decathlon is unique because it is not limited to high-achieving students. Preparation, participation, and competition include high school students from ninth through twelfth grades. A unique aspect of Academic Decathlon is the design to include students from all academic backgrounds. Each 9-member team consists of three Honor students (GPA 3.8 – 4.0), three Scholastic students (GPA 3.2 – 3.799) and three Varsity students (GPA 0.0 – 3.199). Often the Varsity students – perhaps never academically motivated before – perform the best. Some students who once performed average work excel in the competition and experience continued academic success after the event. One high school per school district represents the school district at the state competition. The nine-member team must be from the same school and be the same team members that won district-level competition. School districts with more than one high school participating in Academic Decathlon plan a district-level competition to determine which high school will represent the district at the state finals. For those school districts having only one high school participating in decathlon, that school is still required to participate in the district-level competition to qualify for state competition. The state competition is held in the Atlanta area. Competition events include seven tests of academic strength (economics, mathematics, literature, science, social science, music, and art), three demonstrations of communication ability (speech - prepared and impromptu, interview, and a written essay) and the Super Quiz™ – a collaborative team event held before a live audience. A team coach or co-coaches lead each team. Coaches often depend on experts in fields outside their area of expertise to work with the team. So the concept of team and coach broadens to include all who work to support the team to their goal. Some schools have been able to implement elective classes to focus on the yearly Academic Decathlon curriculum and to bring the information to a larger group of students. Click here for more information about providing GAD as an elective course. Testing Students prepare for objective tests in the disciplines of: mathematics, social science, science, literature, music, art, and economics. Curriculum resources guides are purchased from USAD. Detailed outlines are provided in the USAD Study Guides. For additional information about the objective tests, consult the GAD Coaches’ Manual. Speech The Speech event has two components – prepared speech and impromptu speech. Each speech is timed and scored by two to three judges using a formal rubric. The topic of the prepared speech is the student’s choice but it must meet the approval of the team coach. Consult the USAD Practice Test Booklet and the GAD Coaches’ Manual for more information about the Speech event. Interview Students are interviewed by a panel of two to three judges. The focus of the interview is centered on activities in which the student is engaged, college plans, preparations for Academic Decathlon®, and persons who have had an impact upon the student’s life. Some questions may include topics that would require the use of “critical thinking” skills. The judges score the students using an official rubric. Consult the USAD Practice Test Booklet and the GAD Coaches’ Manual for more information about the interview event. Essay The Essay event is conducted online approximately two weeks prior to State Competition. GAD will arrange for an online practice login session in the days leading up to the competition day. It is imperative that all students test their usernames and passwords at that time. This is also an opportunity to allow students to familiarize themselves with the online platform. It is advisable to have the team use the practice prompts (samples from the WWI curriculum provided below) to type an essay in the time given, even though the prompts may have nothing to do with the current year’s curriculum. Any essay practice is useful. The official essay writing for state competition must be held on one of two times provided. Students should arrive at least 25 minutes prior to the testing time. The entire team must write at the same time, including up to three alternates. Decathletes will type an essay in response to a prompt chosen from a set given to them. Students will be given 50 minutes for writing the essay. The essay will be scored in accordance with the published essay rubric. Click here to download the rubric. Example Essay Prompts Select one of the prompts for your essay. Write a well-organized essay in which you clearly respond to the question or direction that is presented in the prompt. Be sure to follow the accepted rules of standard English sentence structure, usage, spelling, and punctuation, and to use appropriate diction and style. Use specific information and examples from your studies to support your position. Provide a final paragraph to conclude or close your essay. Science: Gregor Mendel made major contributions in the study of genetics. Even though he died in 1884, his work became important during World War I. Explain the impact of Mendel on genetics during and following World War I. Literature: Any major historical or cultural event has a direct impact on the literature of the time period. World War I introduced the writings of soldiers and women. Explain the impact these new writers had on the existing trends in literature and the culture in general. Super Quiz Super Quiz is the only public event at State Competition. It is an event in which team members collaboratively answer questions from each of the seven academic decathlon curriculum areas (art, music, literature, economics, etc.). It is a public showcase of the academic decathlon curriculum. For more information consult the GAD Coaches’ Manual. Forming A Team Schools, school districts, or coaches interested in forming a new team should first peruse this website for more information. Specifically, you should watch the podcast episode “All About the Georgia Academic Decathlon” as well as read through the information in the GAD Coaches Manual and in the GAD Frequently Asked Questions. As you are reading, jot down any questions you might have. Then, contact us at gad@pageinc.org or 404-414-3041 to find out if there is a Coordinator already in place for your district. Once your school or school district has decided to participate in Decathlon, submit the online registration form and pay the $200 District Registration fee. You’ll also need to purchase the USAD curriculum. The basic curriculum package is $750 and is purchased directly from the National organization – www.usad.org . Schools who have never participated before (or not participated for the last 7 years) have the option to receive a one-time curriculum grant from USAD. Your State Director can get you the grant form if you’re interested. A school participating in their second year may complete a grant form to get half-price curriculum. A workshop for coaches and decathletes is held in late August or early September each year. This workshop has multiple sessions on topics related to the upcoming GAD season. There is always a round-table discussion for coaches, and sessions led by Kennesaw State University professors for the various testing areas. Please visit the GAD Dates and Registration page while you are visiting the website. < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Georgia Academic Decathlon GAD Fall Workshop The Fall Workshop is held annually at Kennesaw State University’s KSU Center (not on main campus). This year the workshop will be on Friday, September 12. The agenda will offer sessions on many of this year’s events related to the overall theme: The Roaring Twenties. You can view a tentative agenda below. There is a fee of $20 for each decathlete while Coaches, Coordinators and other adults may attend free of charge (remember to register your bus driver and any chaperones if they need a lunch). Lunch will be provided by Chick-fil-A. If anyone in your group needs something other than the regular Chick-fil-A sandwich lunch, be sure to make a dietary restriction note during the registration process. Each attendee (students and adults) must return a signed release form (links below). For quick check-in, send release forms to Michelle at gad@pageinc.org in advance. If necessary, you may bring them with you, but it greatly slows down check-in. Fall Workshop Memo Fall Workshop Sample Agenda Fall Workshop Directions (the KSU Center is NOT on the main campus) GAD/KSU Student Release Form GAD/KSU Adult Release Form Register Now < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

< RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Georgia Academic Decathlon GAD Curriculum ATTENTION USAD PARTICIPANTS**: The U.S. Academic Decathlon® is excited to announce that the overall curricular theme for 2025-2026 is The Roaring Twenties. Following is some general information on the topics in each of the subject areas. For information on the current year's curriculum, ordering materials, curriculum updates, etc. please visit usad.org/curriculum . Reminder: Curriculum, Practice Tests and other study materials are ordered directly from USAD and not through GAD. ▪ ART : The art curriculum will offer an introduction to the art of the Jazz Age. ▪ ECONOMICS : The economics curriculum will cover fundamental economic concepts, microeconomics, and macroeconomics and will include a thematic section on the U.S. economy in the 1920s. ▪ LITERATURE : The literature curriculum will present an introduction to the literature of the Jazz Age and will include critical reading, one long work of literature, and selected shorter works. The long work of literature will be The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. ▪ MATHEMATICS : The mathematics curriculum will provide an overview of algebra and trigonometry.* ▪ MUSIC : The music curriculum will focus on the music of the Jazz Age. ▪ SCIENCE : The science topic will be an introduction to electricity and magnetism. ▪ SOCIAL SCIENCE : The social science topic will be the Roaring Twenties. * The 2025-26 mathematics curriculum and materials will be the same as were used for the 2022-23 U.S. Academic Decathlon. ** USAD requires all participants to purchase the official USAD Curriculum package to participate. If your school is new to USAD or has not participated in the past seven years, please complete the Curriculum Grant Form (available from your State Director). USAD Calculator Policy - pdf The 2025-26 Calculator Policy is linked in this section's header. It applies to Rounds 1, 2, & 3 (state) competitions. Calculators will NOT be used at Nationals this year. The Nationals math test is being written so that a calculator will not be needed. < RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041