Cheers for Young Champs

Let’s hear it for some young people in Orange County who have been bringing home top academic and athletic honors in recent days:

Last weekend, a team of nine students from Laguna Hills High School outlasted more than 40 other teams to win first place in the California Academic Decathlon. Along the way, they displayed a wide range of knowledge in subjects ranging from math and economics to fine arts and language. It was the first such win for a school from the county in 11 years, and the students now move on to national competition in Des Moines, Iowa.

And how about Janet Evans, the Placentia teen-ager and three-gold-medal winner in the 1988 Olympic Games? Last week she received the James E. Sullivan Memorial Trophy as the outstanding amateur athlete of 1989.

Also, three Orange County schools won Southern California basketball championships and have been competing in state competition this weekend: Mater Dei and Servite in the boys’ competition and Brea-Olinda in the girls’.

Winning isn’t everything, but it means a lot when youngsters’ dedication and hard work pays off. Congratulations to these outstanding young people. Their example offers inspiration to others.