University High holds off a resurgent Hallmark Academy for Fresno Co. Academic Decathlon title
Just when it looked like University High School would coast to another easy victory in the 42nd annual Fresno County Academic Decathlon – the charter school nested in the Fresno State campus won last year’s competition by almost 8,000 points – along came a resurgent Hallmark Academy to throw a scare into the four-time defending champion.
Yes, it was Hallmark, from the Sanger Unified School District, that finished second in the 2023 competition that tests students in various disciplines.
“I’ve been sweating it for over a year because Hallmark was going to be good,” said Sean Canfield, who watched his students score a close 42,432.5 points to 41,553 points over a school returning to the fray for only the second year following an 11-year layoff.
“Hallmark is good. They obviously brought their A game together,” said Canfield of Saturday’s competition at the Sunnyside High School gym.
University, with an enrollment of less than 500, captured its fifth straight title and 12th overall. For Canfield, it was his 13th overall (he coached Clovis West to the 1996 win). The school, which opened in the fall of 2000, has also won 15 national small school championships from 2007 to 2023.
The winning school will represent Fresno County at the state Academic Decathlon scheduled March 22-24 in Santa Clara.
Hallmark, with a high school enrollment of about 160, will learn by Thursday if it will also get an invitation to state.
“I think they were sweating a little bit,” said Hallmark coach Angela Ballew about University.
The teams tied in the Super Quiz, the only portion of the competition that was open to the public. Students with GPAs ranging from 1.00 to more than 4.00 compete in 10 areas of study ranging from music, economics, math, and science.
The teams are divided into honors, scholastic and varsity levels based on their GPAs. This year’s theme was “Technology and Humanity.”
This year’s competition was close. Canfield called it “almost a stalemate.”
Design Science High, whose 250 students attend school near Fresno City College, was third with 34,391.8 points.
Design Science, coached by Lisa Portela, won the most-improved school by scoring more than 19% better than last year when it placed fifth overall.
The schools tied in the Super Quiz. University competitors captured the top three overall scores (with sophomore Madeline Hu becoming the youngest to capture the individual title). Hallmark students led the next three spots in the individual competition.
Having Ballew back means his students will have to improve their game, said Canfield.
“She’s just a serious coach. She’s dynamite and just a wonderful competitor,” he said. “It’s like no time has passed by. To have her back has made the competition that much better.”
Ballew, who coached the school to the 2011 national middle school title before taking time for her school-aged children to finish high school, was fired up at how close the score was. University had always won by more than 6,000 points during its recent win streak following its 2019 loss to Edison High.
Asked if Hallmark can replace Edison, with a record 19 county titles, as University’s nemesis, Ballew replied: “We’re going to sure try.”
Ballew, following the Super Quiz, said competing against University is like David defeating Goliath.
“It’s like playing tennis against (Novak) Djokovic every single game,” she said. “If it was basketball, you’re playing (Michael) Jordan every single game because that’s how good they are.
“But, when you’re playing Jordan and Djokovic, you get better. We want to go against the best because that makes us better and stronger.”
Canfield expects to see Hallmark at the state competition. “We’ll see what happens at state, because they’re going to go hardcore and we have to go hardcore also. Or else the rules could be flipped and the spots could be flipped. I take them very seriously.”
Fresno County Superintendent Michele Cantwell-Copher said the new rivalry is good for the academic decathlon.
“That kind of competition is great, especially when it’s based on mutual respect,” said Cantwell-Copher, noting that Canfield and Ballew exhibited that respect for each other during the awards ceremony.
Individual results were not available Saturday night.
Bullard High won the Division 2 title with 32,714.5 points, followed by Clovis (31,134.5) and Buchanan (30,429).
The Division 3 championship went to Sunnyside with 27,360.7 points. Clovis West (22,981) and Coalinga (19,495.6) followed.
Washington Union won the Division 4 crown with 27,492.3 points, followed by Roosevelt (22,834.9) and Orange Cove (22,087.8).
(This story was updated to clarify that Hallmark Academy is no longer a charter school.)
