Decathlon Victors Looking Ahead

Hours after winning the school district’s Academic Decathlon title, the squad from El Camino Real High School was looking forward to rest, sleep and, yes, more studying.

“We don’t want to get rusty,” said team member Steve Chae.

The decathlon victors, who finished first among all Los Angeles Unified School District schools--were welcomed back to campus Wednesday by cheerleaders, a marching band, the school’s color guard and their enthusiastic classmates.

It was a celebration that underscored the school’s competitive spirit: Last year’s nine-member team lost the national competition by a fraction of a percentage point.

“There was a lot of pressure because last year was second place in the nation, so that’s a lot to live up to,” senior team member Michael Montgomery said. “People were telling us, ‘You’re not like last year’s class,’ so we were glad to prove them wrong.”

The 16 trophies and plaques earned by team members for first- and second-place finishes in the prestigious academic contest were displayed in the center of the school’s outdoor quad.

“So this is all from yesterday,” one student said, eyeing a two-foot-high trophy awarded the city champs. “Impressive.”

Besides earning the right to represent the school district at the state Academic Decathlon in March, the victory also carried a special meaning for some students.

Chae, a junior, gave one of his three gold medals to his mother, who is suffering from cancer and served as an inspiration. “I wrote my speech about what’s happening with my mom and I won a first place,” he said.

Tamara Miller, also a junior, said the awards were nice--she won eight first-place medals--but more important, “I really learned how to get along with eight other people and to work together.”

Team members expressed respect for second-place finisher Marshall High School. Marshall scored 45,973 points in the event, under the 47,000 points that would have allowed the team to compete in the state Academic Decathlon.

“We’re really happy we don’t have to face Marshall again,” Montgomery said. “They were a real tough team.”

Montgomery and his teammates in January will begin cramming for the state competition to be held at Cal Poly Pomona. Their goal is to win the state and national titles.

“We feel like we have to do it for Mr. [David] Roberson because it’s his last year coaching,” senior team member Michal Engelman said. “So, he’s got to have an impressive exit.”