El Camino Finishes 2nd for 2nd Straight Year

For the second year in a row Saturday, the nine-student squad from El Camino Real High School of Woodland Hills finished second in the national Academic Decathlon to a team of Texas teenagers.

The Texas crew from James E. Taylor High School in suburban Houston not only swept the academic tournament, but set a new record with 52,260 points out of a possible 60,000.

“We’ve never had a team hit 50,000 [points] before in nationals,” said Frann Shermet, executive director of the event. “That’s quite an accomplishment.”

El Camino finished the two-day contest with 49,520 points, more than 1,500 points ahead of the third-place team, Whitney Young High School of Chicago, which had an overall score of 47,970.

Despite placing second, the Woodland Hills kids were in good spirits. Teammates Jackie Moses and Dawn Robinson chanted “We’re No. 2!” and flashed two fingers as they stood on the sidelines waiting to shake the hands of the all-male decathlon team from Texas.

“We take pride in being second,” Moses joked.

Senior Tamara Miller said she tried to be realistic about her team’s chances and had expected to place behind the Texas team after meeting several of its intense young members.

“I said to myself, ‘They’re smart. And I’m smart, too, but I don’t think I can beat them,’ ” Miller said.

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In all, the El Camino teenagers captured 21 individual medals in subjects ranging from economics and social studies to fine arts. Team member Robert Magee, repeating his performance in last month’s state contest, emerged the top-scoring student for El Camino, garnering 8,725 points and $2,000 in scholarship money.

The Woodland Hills group also took home a second-place plaque for the Super Quiz, the last and perhaps most crucial test in the 10-event tournament.

But there was still a twinge of disappointment for some El Camino students, who had hoped to win the championship in honor of their retiring coaches and to avenge last year’s second-place finish. The team lost the national title last year by only 285 points to another team from suburban Houston, Frank Dobie High.

“It would’ve been nice to win first, but that’s life, I guess,” said junior Steve Chae. “We can’t let it get us down.”

The results in the brain-draining tournament were announced during a three-hour-long luncheon Saturday afternoon. More than 50 cheering students, relatives and administrators came from California in a show of support for the El Camino kids. Teams from 37 states vied for the U.S. Academic Decathlon crown and for $18,000 in scholarships.

The ceremony culminated months of exhaustive preparation and competitions for the El Camino decathletes, who landed victories at the city and state levels.

As the awards for the first three categories were announced and students from Texas dominated the line at the podium to receive medals, El Camino co-coach Dave Roberson drew heavy breaths and wiped his eyes. He and fellow coach Sharon Markenson are stepping down after leading the decathlon team for four years.

Others tried to mask their emotions with humor. “Are you sure Texas didn’t write these tests?” team member Mike Montgomery asked his coaches.

Robert Magee, the senior who was the team’s highest scorer, was more direct. “Taylor [High] is kicking our [butt],” he told his girlfriend, El Camino junior Jennifer Kim, who drove out for the last days of the tournament.

While her boyfriend appeared rather laid-back as awards were doled out, Kim fidgeted in her seat, wrung her hands and sighed repeatedly, yet still proclaimed that she wanted to try out for the next year’s decathlon team.

“I see how hard they work and how much they learn, and since I want to learn for the rest of my life, I want to do this,” she said. “It’s just an incredible experience.”

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Two special awards were also presented during the final ceremony, both given to members of California decathlon teams that didn’t make it to the national contest.

Matthew Ethen, who coached Fresno’s Thomas Edison High School to third place in last month’s California state decathlon, was awarded the first-ever Coach of the Year award. Ethen, 32, was among 50 teachers nominated for the prize. In his six years of coaching, his team has made the state finals four times.

The Academic Decathlon “is a metaphor for life,” Ethen said. “It involves time, focus and commitment and deciding what’s important. I wish every student could do it.”

Laura Gibson, the student from a high school in Escondido who postponed brain surgery to participate with her team in the state decathlon finals, received a special $2,500 scholarship and was lauded for her courage and sense of teamwork.

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Students in the national decathlon, which began Thursday, were tested on their knowledge in six academic disciplines, in addition to writing timed essays, delivering prepared speeches and enduring personal interviews.

The exams were capped Friday by the Super Quiz, the pressure-packed, rowdy, game-show-like event staged before an audience. El Camino tied for second place with Chicago’s Whitney Young High School, answering 39 of the 45 questions correctly. Texas’ Taylor High snatched first placed with 41 correct answers. As in this year’s decathlon, the Super Quiz winner has often gone on to take the overall title in past years.

On Saturday, as Taylor High continued to rack up medals, its victory was increasingly clear.

With the decathlon over, students said they are looking forward to returning to long-neglected schoolwork and reacquainting themselves with their friends.

“I just want my life back,” El Camino’s Moses said.