SANDPOINT — If they felt the pressure to repeat as champions, Sandpoint's AcaDeca teams didn't let it get to them as the Bulldogs claimed the state title for the fourth straight year.

The school's Team 1 — with nine members — took first place in large school and the overall state championship with a score of 39,856 out of 60,000. While the SHS Team 2 — which has six members — claimed second place in the division with a score of 31,137 and fourth overall at state. Overall, the team claimed eight of the nine overall medals.

"We crushed it by 4,000 points out of a 60,000 point margin," said Team 1 member Logan Jones. "We were being tailed by, like 100 points, 37 point, something like that, and then we just blew it out of the water in terms of competition, which I was really happy about.

While last year's AcaDeca tests centered around the Cold War, this year's competition was science-based and focused on marine biology with all of the 10 areas — which include art, interview, speech, literature, music, mathematics, economics, science, social science and the Super Quiz — touching on the subject.

"There was a lot of pressure [to repeat as champions]," Gavin Jasper said. "I didn't want to be the graduating class to miss the fourth state title. If we can get to five that would be cool."

To which a fellow decathlete quipped: "No pressure."

While they put pressure on themselves to bring the title back home to Sandpoint for the fourth year, SHS Team 1 students said they were also pretty confident. They were prepared, they said, and had studied — and knew their fellow teammates had done so as well. And because this year marked the first time in two years that the state competition was being held in person, it inspired them to work even harder.

"I was also pretty confident because I think I think going in person, it gives you that drive," Kyla LaFountain said. "And it's been a while since we've gone anywhere for AcaDeca in person."

With several meets being close with the top state teams, the students said they were taken anything for granted.

"They were about neck and neck with us at our other meets so we had that pressure on top of, you know, trying to win our fourth straight state title," Bethany Badoux said.

While they were stressed when they first arrived at Marsing High School, which hosted the state competition, those nerves were eased when they noticed the other teams chatting and hanging out. Meanwhile, the SHS teams were "buried in their binders and Chromebooks" to study.

"We definitely came to win," Jones said. "Like, we're not here to come and take second. We're here to take first."

Helping them in their pursuit of that title were the bonds they'd built as a team, both by being able to be in the same class — and by studying together outside of class.

"Everyone knew each other," Jones said. "And everyone, like fed off each other's energy and as a team, we really worked well together."

"We were just a lot closer knit," agreed LaFountain. "Because we were in the same class, we all had to see each other more often."

The comment caused a few of the students to laugh.

"I think being in class together, we got to work together a little bit more," she said once it had died down. "I think it's easier to like put your heads together when you're doing it at the same time in the same place."

Being in the same class, they were able to switch up where the students sat on a regular basis, giving them a chance to talk to teammates, getting to know them and being able to study in different ways.

"An advantage I think our team had over other teams again … is that we were more spread out between our divisions," Jasper said.

As a group, the students said, they were strong in almost all of the areas, helping each other study, understand the subjects each might not be as good in and more.

While last year's AcaDeca theme centered around the social sciences – the Cold War specifically, this year's theme was science based. That meant what they were learning was a bit unfamiliar. That's where turning to their teammates — and the invaluable binder — were critical to their success, the students said.

"You have to just force your brain to remember it," joked Jasper. "For me, brute force always works."

The comment prompted his fellow students to laugh — and AcaDeca advisor Dana Stockman to shake her head.

"AcaDeca on the outside seems kind of really hard to approach," Jones said. "But once you read the binder, a lot of this stuff kind of falls into place, like how it wants to be structured."

While for some the science-based them was a lot of fun, others said it wasn't their favorite.

"I was a little disappointed," Alex Kingma said. "On the bright side, next year is going to be relatively easy because, yeah, the American Revolution, it's gonna be like history class."

Familiarity with topics — including non-AcaDeca classes — can be helpful but isn't critical. What is helpful is a love of learning and diving into the spirit of the competition, the students said.

Some have competed in AcaDeca throughout high school, while other AcaDeca students said it was their first year. All, however, said they considered the others not just teammates but friends as well.

"Overall, I think it's just been like a great way to find connections with people," said Badoux, who competed for the first time this year as a senior. "And you get to learn about a variety of topics."

LaFountain, who is in her third year, said she almost dropped it several times her freshman year — mainly because she didn't want to give the speech.

"If you had asked me three years ago to do an interview or give a speech, I couldn't do it," she said. "But doing AcaDeca gives you a little bit of a push to learn, to try new things. And I think it gave me new passions. I hated econ forever ago, but now I'm taking like three econ classes."

For some, their favorite part of the competition was meeting the other teams and getting to know them. For others, it was challenging themselves to be the best.

The first day of the competition is spent taking the individual tests. The next is spent competing in the Super Quiz and doing the interviews and the speeches, which is a specialized skill, requiring a deep knowledge of the subject — or at least pretending to do so.

It takes, the students said, having a knowledge of the theme, but also using your oratory skills and knowledge of subjects you are passionate about as well and turning the interview to a subject you know a lot about.

Sandpoint High's Team 1 is now competing in the U.S. AcaDeca Virtual National Finals, writing their essays and took their art test on March 31. On April 20, they will take part in the interview competition and present their speeches on April 21, both being held via Zoom. On April 22, the team will take the remaining tests — literature, music, mathematics, economics, science, and social science — as well as take the Super Quiz.

The awards ceremony will be held April 23 and will be live-streamed on USAD’s website.

Twelve schools, which fielded 25 teams since schools brought more than one team) participated in the competition, which took place at Marsing High School in early March. Keane Haesle won the Phillip Ourada Award for highest combined speech and interview score — the tenth straight year that a Sandpoint student has won the award.

Students on Team 1, in the Honors Division, are Alex Kingma (overall silver medalist), Keane Haesle (overall gold medalist), and Bethany Badoux (overall bronze medalist); in the Scholastic Division are Kody Bocksch (overall gold medalist), Logan Jones (overall silver medalist), and Torin Haesle; and, in the Varsity Division are Kyla LaFountain (overall gold medalist), Gavin Jasper (overall silver medalist), and Alex Gonzalez.

Students are Team 2, in the Honors Division, are Noah Darrin and Jenna Hughes; in the Scholastic Division are Henley Bloom and Brooks Spalding; and in the Varsity Division: are Bailey Lancaster, and Onyx Holzapfel (overall bronze medalist).