1,000 Students at Rally Cheer for 8-Member Decathlon Team

The eight students who make up El Camino Real High School’s academic decathlon team received a hero’s welcome Monday after taking the school to its third consecutive state championship.

About 1,000 students cheered and screamed at a pep rally on the school’s outdoor stage as the academic decathletes displayed their 4-foot championship trophy and 52 individual medals.

The team amassed 51,100 points, the highest score in the 19-year history of the nationwide competition, during the event Friday and Saturday at Cal Poly Pomona.

“Proud is an understatement,” said Mark Johnson, El Camino Real’s academic decathlon coach. “This is a special team and they deserve all the accolades they’re getting.”

Next up for El Camino Real is the U.S. Academic Decathlon in Providence, R.I., April 24-26. The school finished second nationally the past two years. Only state champions are invited to the nationals.

This year’s national finals will be El Camino Real’s fourth overall. As a result, El Camino decathletes are using the John Elway-led Denver Broncos, who finally won a Super Bowl in January on their fourth attempt, as a rallying cry.

“Hopefully, we can do what the Broncos did,” said junior Nancy Fu, 17, who had the highest individual score in the state competition with 9,147 points.

Moorpark High School in Ventura County, which had the second highest score in the nation this year behind El Camino Real with 48,585, and Edison High School of Fresno County, which finished with 47,260 points, round out the top three.

Alemany High School in Mission Hills barely missed the top three, with 47,199 points. The school also held a pep rally for its decathletes.

“I am honored to be associated with these young men and women,” Alemany coach Janie Prucha said. “They constantly challenge, inspire and amuse me and I would not trade places with any other coach, regardless of the point standing.”