Local Schools Double-Team Decathlon’s State Finals

Two Ventura County high schools are ranked first and third in the nation in the Academic Decathlon, setting the stage for the state showdown next month.

Simi Valley High School decathletes scored higher than any other students in the country, with national champion Moorpark High School not far behind, officials said Monday.

Simi Valley scored 50,195 points out of a possible 60,000 in the Ventura County competition earlier this month, while Moorpark scored 49,528 points. Students at the two schools are studying 40 hours per week in preparation for the state competition in March.

“We definitely have a good chance at winning, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” said Simi Valley decathlete Randy Xu. “So we’re still studying hard. It’s a combination between jubilation and paranoia.”

James E. Taylor High School of Katy, Texas, the national runner-up last year, is ranked second in the nation this year. The team scored 49,751 in its local competition.

“We’re very proud of the two high school teams, the decathletes, coaches, parents and the staff who helped them,” said Phil Gore, the decathlon coordinator for the Ventura County superintendent of schools office. “Both Simi Valley and Moorpark will be very competitive at the state finals.”

Counties across the nation held their local contests this month, and coaches immediately started to compare scores. Local coaches logged onto Web sites, called rival coaches and celebrated their rankings.

Sally Hibbitts, Simi Valley’s assistant coach, said she anticipates a competitive statewide contest next month.

“It bodes well for us if we can keep our position,” Hibbitts said. “With Moorpark being so close behind us, the state championship is going to be highly competitive. The competition is going to be very fierce.”

Though Moorpark decathletes placed second in the county contest, their score was high enough to qualify the team for the state finals.

“It’s a pretty good feeling to know that we’re doing that well,” said Moorpark team member David Pomerantz. “But at the same time, we know that there’s still one team we have to beat in the state, so we’re working hard right now.”

California’s top-scoring schools will compete in Los Angeles from March 17 to 19 at Loyola Marymount University, Westchester High School and the LAX Marriot Hotel.

The decathletes will deliver speeches, give interviews, write essays and take tests in music, math, literature, economics, art and social studies. They will also answer questions about the environment in the fast-paced Super Quiz event.

The two Ventura County schools will face rivals from the south--El Camino Real High and Los Angeles High. El Camino scored 49,097 in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s contest, and Los Angeles High scored 49,020.

“We’re in a really good spot to chase the people ahead of us, and to create some distance from the people behind us,” said Moorpark High co-coach Michelle Bergman. “But I think it’s really going to be really close among all four because the point spread is so small.”

The state winner will go to the national championship April 14-16 in San Antonio.