El Camino Real Is 2nd in National Decathlon

For the second year in a row, 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 crew from James E. Taylor High School in suburban Houston not only swept the tournament Saturday, but set a 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 from Chicago, which had a score of 47,970.

Despite placing second, the Woodland Hills students 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 decathlete team from Texas.

“We take pride in being second,” Jackie said.

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 as 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. Teams from 37 states vied for the U.S. Decathlon crown and for $18,000 in scholarships.

Two special awards were 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 “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.

Laura Gibson, the student from an Escondido high school 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.