Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
| Whitney M. Young Magnet High School | |
 | |
| School Founded | 1975 |
| Team Established | {{{team_established}}} |
| History | Plenty |
| City | Chicago, Illinois |
| Team Colors | Orange and Blue |
| Principal | Rickey Harris |
| Head Coach | Benjamin Gucciardi |
| Associate/Other Head Coach(es) | None |
| National Championships | None |
| State Championships | 37 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) |
| Regional/County Championships | 37 (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) |
| Region/County Location | Chicago Public Schools |
| Highest Finish | Second in National Finals (Five Times) |
| School Website | {{{website}}} |
Whitney M. Young Magnet HS
Chicago, IL
Website: https://wyoung.org
The Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Academic Decathlon Team is a force to be reckoned with in the State of Illinois. They have won 34 of 35 State Championships from 1986 to 2020, and when asked about that year, they often reply with "we don't like to talk about that." The team has been under the leadership of Julienne "Swaggy" Au and Michael "Steezy" Stevenson since 2015, leading to continued success at the State Competition and National Competition, where they won third in Division I every year from 2015 to 2019. Ben "Gucci" Gucciardi has now taken over as lead coach for the team.
While the team is not hitting the binder, they are often found in their school's gym working on their basketball plays. The team prides themselves on their basketball skills, as it builds chemistry and provides an outlet from studying. Perhaps the Dolphins' greatest accomplishment lies in their creation of the Undecathlon with the addition of basketball to the ten event gauntlet. Whitney M. Young High School holds both Chicago Public Schools Academic Decathlon Regional Basketball Competition titles, having vanquished their "rivals" for two years in a row. The team also doubles as a registered JNCO enthusiast organization.
In past years, they have been found at the outdoor basketball courts wherever competitions are held, looking to challenge other schools to a game of hoops. More recently, they have been spotted having intense debates over plain white bread and pizza correctness, relishing their aloneness on Valentine's Day, or playing Jeopardy Bot.
Academic Decathlon Performance Chart
| Year | Regionals Score | Regionals Rank | State Score | State Rank | Nationals Score | Nationals Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 47,857.8 | 1 | 48,219.1 | 1 | 47,350.4 | 2 |
| 2023 | 44,887.6 | 1 | 48,113.3 | 1 | 47,835.5 | 2 |
| 2022 | 46,861.1 | 1 | 45,801.5 | 1 | 45,457.6 | 3 |
| 2021 | 51,008.9 | 1 | 48,557.2 | 1 | 47,804.5 | 3 |
| 2020 | 48,226.8 | 1 | ? | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | 48,772.0 | 1 | 48,457.4 | 1 | 48,592.7 | 5 |
| 2018 | 45,691.3 | 1 | 47,943.3 | 1 | 47,806.1 | 4 |
| 2017 | 45,505.1 | 1 | 46,211.5 | 1 | 47,509.4 | 4 |
| 2016 | 48,349.1 | 1 | 47,667.7 | 1 | 48,890.1 | 4 |
| 2015 | 47,829.0 | 1 | 46,983.4 | 1 | 48,434.4 | 4 |
| 2014 | ? | 1 | 44,424 | 1 | 47,417.6 | 5 |
| 2013 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 46,701.9 | 7 |
| 2012 | ? | 1 | 41,578 | 1 | 49,736.5 | 2 |
| 2011 | 46,886 | 1 | 45,980 | 1 | 46,880.4 | 4 |
| 2010 | 48,468 | 1 | 48,292 | 1 | 47,269.7 | 3 |
| 2009 | 46,351 | 1 | 42,565* | 1 | 47,491.5 | 5 |
| 2008 | 47,318 | 1 | 49,735 | 1 | 50,053.6 | 5 |
| 2007 | 47,977 | 1 | 48,496 | 1 | 50,828.8 | 2 |
| 2006 | 46,700 | 1 | 45,409 | 1 | 46,785 | 4 |
| 2005 | ? | 1 | 1 | 1 | 45,091.8 | 5 |
| 2004 | ? | 2 | 45,900 | 1 | 47,823.6 | 4 |
| 2003 | ? | 1 | ? | 2 | DNC | DNC |
| 2002 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 46,460 | 3 |
| 2001 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 44,963 | 3 |
| 2000 | ? | 1 | 47,695 | 1 | 48,776 | 4 |
| 1999 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 47,559 | 4 |
| 1998 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 47,448 | 5 |
| 1997 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 47,970 | 3 |
| 1996 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 44,805 | 8 |
| 1995 | ? | 1 | ? | 1 | 48,075 | 2 |
(*) There was no interview this year, due to poor organization.
Record Board
Overall Team: 2007 Nationals - 50,828.8
Overall Honors: Isabel Salovaara, 2008 Regionals - 9,300
Overall Scholastic: Anji Bei, 2012 Nationals - 8,680.3
Overall Varsity: Rachel Perez, 2007 Nationals - 8,191
Most Lifted: GiHo Jeong
Swaggiest: Charlie "Chuck" Nevins or Eddie Armstrong
I Want It: That Way
Best at being short: Sarah Lerner
Panera Pizza Goblin: Zachary Troher
