Marshall High Scholars Win Academic Decathlon Again

For the second consecutive year, Marshall High School captured first place in the Los Angeles school district’s academic decathlon, defeating 52 other high schools in the annual competition.

Marshall, in northeast Los Angeles near Griffith Park, scored 4,757 out of a possible 6,000 points during a daylong marathon of tests, interviews, speeches and essay-writing held three weeks ago at Los Angeles High School.

Winners were announced at an awards banquet Wednesday night at the Bonaventure Hotel.

Second place went to Taft High School in Woodland Hills, while University in West Los Angeles took third place. Palisades High School, the winner for the first four years of the decathlon, was in fourth place this year.

Marshall’s six-member team also was officially proclaimed winner of the Super Quiz, a rapidly paced oral test that this year focused on the U.S. Constitution. Second and third place in the quiz were won by Taft and Chatsworth, respectively.

The academic decathlon tests students’ knowledge of economics, fine arts, mathematics, science, literature and social science. Participants also are required to write an essay, give a speech and be interviewed by a panel of judges. The Super Quiz, similar to the old College Bowl television game show, is the only portion of the test open to the public.

The academic decathlon was created by an Orange County school administrator in 1968 as part of a drive to encourage scholastic achievement. The Los Angeles school district organized its first decathlon in 1981, and the contest was held nationwide for the first time in 1982.

Marshall will represent the school district in the state decathlon March 14 in Sacramento.

The office of the Los Angeles County superintendent of schools, which held its own decathlon for 60 county high schools Nov. 15, earlier announced that Beverly Hills High School captured its fifth straight win. Beverly Hills will be the county’s representative in the state contest.

For the last four years, Beverly Hills has won the state decathlon, and each time it has taken second place in the national competition. The national decathlon will be held April 25 in Irving, Tex.