Moorpark Scholars Win Decathlon

After three hours of written tests and rounds of trivia questions, Moorpark High School placed first in this year’s Ventura County Academic Decathlon on Saturday.

The Moorpark team, headed by coach Larry Jones, was able to dethrone Simi Valley High School from its winning seat of the past two years and regain the No. 1 status it had earned in 1993 and 1994.

In addition, Moorpark High’s Michael Liu placed first among individual scorers.

The nine-member Moorpark team now is eligible to compete in the state decathlon in March.

More than 160 students from 13 high schools had been preparing for the county’s 16th annual Academic Decathlon for months--some teams starting to pore over their 6-inch thick manuals as early as last summer.

Competitors went through a rigorous examination involving impromptu speeches and essay questions in January, then sat through hours of tests Saturday at Oxnard High School on math, literature, music, science, social studies and art before the Super Quiz, which focused on the economy.

Many students study for the event after class and on weekends, but students at some schools, such as Simi Valley and Moorpark, have classes devoted to it.

The Academic Decathlon--which comprises 10 scholastic categories--was created by an Orange County school superintendent in 1968 and became a national competition more than a decade later.

This year, the questions focused on the globalization of world markets and Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.” Competitors could score a maximum of 10,000 points.

On Saturday, everyone--including the 400 family members and friends in the audience--felt the excitement and anxiety in the room.

There were sighs of relief and high-fives after each correct answer was announced by the tuxedo-clad Chuck Weis, Ventura County’s superintendent of schools, who served as emcee.

To the Academic Decathlon students, answering such questions as “What occurs in forex markets?” was a cinch.

“Hey, this is the brain bank,” said Simi Valley High student Jeff Cowan. The answer: Investors trade in money in forex markets.

But many of the folks in the crowd were stumped.

“Oh, I thought the answer was D,” said one woman, scratching her head as she looked at a screen with multiple-choice answers.

Several parents said they were on pins and needles before the competition.

“I’m nervous for her,” said Jim Cleary of his 17-year-old daughter, Melanie, of Moorpark High School. “Especially the oral part.”

And even though he was proud of her, Cleary said, he worried that Melanie has been spending so much time studying for the decathlon that her other courses have been given less attention.

“It’s hard to balance it all,” agreed her mother, Marilynn.

Despite the juggling, educators say the end results of the decathlon are worth it.

“This is a way to give recognition for academic achievement,” said Phil Gore, the county administrator who coordinated the event. “It’s important for our local students.”