Coach David Reichard, Evan MacInerney, Rohin Jayaraman, Kaia Satory, Gavin Cress, Michael Kravec, Heath Lyon, Ophelia Crano, Sarah Ghaffar, Dhiyasri Gopalakrishnan. 

This milestone also marks our first-ever United States Academic Decathlon National Banner, awarded to the top three teams. It comes during a particularly special year, as this is my 10th year coaching the program since founding it a decade ago.

Here were the Top 3 Team Scores 

1. Lane Technical College Preparatory High School (IL) – 46,566.1
2. Verdugo Hills High School (CA) – 46,264.7
3. Seneca Valley High School (PA) – 45,497.3

The students spent months preparing after school, studying the 2024–2025 theme: “Our Changing Climate.” They competed in ten rigorous academic events including Literature, Mathematics, Art, Economics, Science, Social Science, Music, Essay, Speech, and Interview. Every team member was required to participate in all ten disciplines, making this one of the most well-rounded and demanding academic competitions in the country.

These nine students demonstrated extraordinary dedication—putting in countless hours of studying, taking practice tests, practicing speeches, writing essays, and completing interviews. As their coach, I couldn’t be prouder of their growth, teamwork, and performance on the national stage.

Here are the 23 individual national medals earned by our team:

Ophelia Crano

• Silver – Art
• Bronze – Essay

Rohin Jayaraman

• Gold – Literature
• Gold – Music
• Gold – Mathematics
• Gold – Art
• Gold – Social Science
• Gold – Overall Highest Scorer in the Country 
• Bronze – Science
• Bronze – Interview

Kaia Satory

• Gold – Literature
• Gold – Art
• Bronze – Speech
• Bronze – Essay

Heath Lyon 

• Gold – Music
• Gold – Art
• Silver – Literature
• Silver – Mathematics

Michael Kravec 

• Gold – Mathematics

Sarah Ghaffar 

• Gold – Interview
• Bronze – Essay

Gavin Cress 

• Silver – Economics
• Silver – Speech

Competing at the national level is an honor and this team has truly made Seneca Valley proud.