Vanden 2nd at regional Academic Decathlon; will represent Solano at state event Davis Senior High School was third. The Vanden High team members are seniors Diana Egan, Faith Miller, Lucas Morales, Annika Serrano, Alex Melendres and Jelly Caraballo; juniors Nina Schmidt and Nihal Grewal; and sophomore Sydney Haas. The Solano County Office of Education hosted the decathlon, which attracted 240 students from 15 high schools in Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, Imperial, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and Yolo counties. “Academic Decathlon fosters a deep respect for knowledge, cooperation and self-esteem for students. This competitive event stimulates academic achievement and honors ‘athletes of the mind’ while providing an enriching educational experience with an emphasis on personal growth,” Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson said in a statement released by her office Monday.