Students from Orange County’s Academic Pentathlon teams gather for a group photo following the Super Quiz event at the 2025 national finals in San Antonio. 
McGarvin Intermediate School’s seventh- and eighth-grade teams pose for a photo at their hotel during the 2025 United States Academic Pentathlon National Finals. 
Students from Fairmont Private Schools stand together outside the Alamo while touring historic landmarks during the national Pentathlon finals in San Antonio. 
Gordon H. Beatty Middle School students enjoy a boat tour along the San Antonio River Walk during their trip to the Academic Pentathlon national competition. 
Two Gordon H. Beatty Middle School students take in the sights during a boat tour of the San Antonio River Walk.
Quick look: Five middle school teams from Orange County earned top honors at the 2025 United States Academic Pentathlon National Finals, held May 15 through May 17 in San Antonio, Texas. Competing against students from across the country, the teams captured five overall team awards and multiple individual medals.
Five middle school teams representing Orange County showcased their academic strength at the 2025 United States Academic Pentathlon National Finals, bringing home multiple team and individual honors.
Held May 15 through May 17 at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk in Texas, the national competition challenged students in grades six through eight to demonstrate their knowledge across five academic subjects: literature, mathematics, science, social science and fine arts. This year’s theme, “Our Changing Climate,” guided the multi-subject curriculum.
Developed by the United States Academic Decathlon organization, the Academic Pentathlon offers a rigorous and enriching experience for middle school students. The program is designed to promote collaboration, critical thinking and academic excellence through competition.
Orange County’s competitors included teams from McGarvin Intermediate School in the Garden Grove Unified School District, Fairmont Private Schools’ Anaheim campus and Gordon H. Beatty Middle School in the Buena Park School District.
The Orange County Department of Education coordinates the regional Pentathlon with support from SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union. While many qualifying contests are conducted virtually, both the Orange County and national competitions are held in person, providing students with opportunities to compete, connect and celebrate their hard work on a larger stage.
During their stay in San Antonio, students also visited local landmarks, including the Alamo, and enjoyed a boat ride along the River Walk. Along the way, they bonded as teams and formed new friendships with peers from across the country.
Each team is composed of six to nine students representing three grade-point average categories — Honor (3.80 and above), Scholastic (3.20 to 3.79) and Varsity (3.19 and below). Team scores are calculated using the top two individual scores from each GPA category.
Top finishes at the national level
The sixth-grade team from Gordon H. Beatty Middle School earned second place overall in its division, ranking just behind Arizona’s Basha Accelerated Middle School.
McGarvin Intermediate’s seventh-grade team took first place in the Seventh Grade Invited Division, while its eighth-grade team captured second place overall in the Eighth Grade State Champion Division. Meanwhile, Fairmont Private Schools secured second place overall in both the Seventh Grade State Champion Division and the Eighth Grade Invited Division.
The invited divisions include schools that demonstrated strong performance in regional or state contests but did not qualify for the State Champion Division, providing them with the opportunity to compete and showcase their academic talents at the national level.
In addition to their team achievements, Orange County students also earned a number of gold, silver and bronze medals in individual events.
For complete national results, including individual and team rankings, visit usad.org/pentathlon.