Local News in Brief : Tops in School Decathlon

Palos Verdes High School in Palos Verdes Estates won the county Academic Decathlon last weekend, narrowly edging out Beverly Hills High, the top scorer every year since competition began in 1982. Palos Verdes will represent Los Angeles County at the state level, where the county team historically has won first place and gone on to the national competition.

The six-member Palos Verdes team, coached by English teacher Yukiko Kuno, practiced long hours throughout the summer and fall months to prepare for the decathlon last Saturday at West High in Torrance, said Nancy Mahr, spokeswoman for the Palos Verdes Peninsula school district.

Other honors on the Peninsula went to Bill Reeves, who won the bronze medal as an individual in the “A” group; Tom Odawara of Miraleste High, who racked up a perfect score in the Superquiz competition, and Miraleste High, which placed 18th among 70 competing teams. Rolling Hills, the third high school in the Peninsula district, did not compete this year for lack of a coach.

Jim Hugunin, a senior at Mira Costa in the South Bay Union High School District, won the highest award for an individual, a gold medal in the “A” category. Coach Bill Fauver said Hugunin is a straight-A student who plans to make his career in electrical engineering.

Mira Costa placed first among first-time competitors and 13th in the overall ratings. Redondo Union was 15th.

Other South Bay schools in the top 25 were West High, South High and North High in the Torrance district and El Segundo High.

Each decathlon team has six members, with two representing each of the “A,” “B” and “C” grade-point levels. Up to nine alternates back up the team in 10 written and verbal tests.