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 Floyd Harris |
| Head Coach | Jorden Berberian |
| Associate/Other Head Coach(es) | Krishna Kulkarni |
| National Championships | None |
| State Championships | 39 (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, 2024, 2025) |
| Regional/County Championships | 39 (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, 2024, 2025) |
| 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 Jorden "Berb" Berberian since 2025, leading to continued success at the State Competition and National Competition, where they placed top 5 in every National Championship since 2015.
While the team is not hitting the binder, they are often found in the stealing Vishal's food, making Vishal steal food from Berb. The team prides themselves on their gambling skills (which are VERY immoral) as well as their abilities in Hollow Knight: Silksong, as it builds community and provides an outlet from doing their AP lit essays. Perhaps the Dolphins' greatest accomplishment lies in their recreation of the dance moms pyramid, inscribing a sense of rivalry and competitiveness into the activity. The team also doubles as a registered interpretive dance troupe, with captain Jason Xie leading a 27-minute ballet segment.
In past years, they have been found at LITERALLY NOWHERE wherever competitions are held, looking to challenge other schools to a game of ACADEMIC DECATHLON. More recently, they have been spotted having intense debates over the ethicality of selling pure milk at fundraising events as well as the semantics of the music of Billie Eilish, denouncing the incompetence of the School District, or frolicking the outdoors in mystical joy.
Academic Decathlon Performance Chart[edit]
| Year | Regionals Score | Regionals Rank | State Score | State Rank | Nationals Score | Nationals Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51,304.0 | 1 | 48,401.8 | 1 | 48,542.6 | 5 |
| 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[edit]
Overall Team: 2025 Regionals - 51,304.0
Overall Honors: Isabel Salovaara, 2008 Regionals - 9,300
Overall Scholastic: Vincent Li, 2025 Regionals - 8,865.0
Overall Varsity: David Conway, 2008 Nationals - 8,567.4
Most Lifted: GiHo Jeong
Swaggiest: Charlie "Chuck" Nevins or Eddie Armstrong
I Want It: That Way
Best at being short: Cassia MacMillan - Under five feet
Boo Yah!: Gimme some!
Panera Pizza Goblin: Zachary Troher
