It’s not hard to understand why the members of the Southmore Intermediate School’s seventh grade Academic Pentathlon team are sporting an ear-to-ear grin.

For the first time the school’s history, the seventh grade team advanced to the regional competition. The team made the most of their opportunity as they finished second place overall at the event, while several of the team members earned individual medals. The Southmore students also took second place in the Super Quiz portion of the competition.

“We are so proud of what these students have accomplished,” Southmore Principal Lana Stahl said. “They have represented our school well.”

The individual awards included Carlos Martinez’s first place finish in the math category, along with Cristian Guerra’s second place ranking in the essay competition. Isaic Gonzales took second place in the math and science categories and ranked second overall in the Varsity division. Craig Jackson ranked third overall in the Scholastic division.

The pentathlon is an abbreviated version of the academic decathlon competitions held at the high school level. Students participate in five categories, including essay, mathematics, science, social studies and super quiz.

The super quiz portion of the competition consists of five questions about a random subject. If individual students answer all five questions correctly, they will score 1,000 points for their team.

“Our students put in many long hours preparing for their competitions,” said Sherry Nilles, Southmore Pentathlon coach. “We did have fun though, and that made working with this group a real pleasure. I am already looking forward to next year. It is exciting to see what these kids have accomplished.”

In honor of their efforts, Southmore’s team was recognized by the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees at their May regular meeting.

““I applaud these students for their hard work and determination,” Pasadena ISD Superintendent Kirk Lewis said. “These students are a true testament of what people can do when they set their mind to it.”