One for the Books

With new coaches and students, worries and hopes abound about whether El Camino Real High School’s academic decathlon team can uphold its winning record of four consecutive city titles as well as three state and one national championships.

“We’re well aware of the pressure, especially when the community’s housing values depend on us winning,” said a half-joking Melinda Owen, a co-coach of El Camino’s self-described “green team.” “But we have a good chance. We’re going for first place again.”

An estimated 525 students from 59 teams will compete in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s 19th annual academic decathlon Jan. 29 at Bravo Medical Magnet High School in East Los Angeles and Feb. 5 at UCLA. The winner and some top-scoring wild-card teams will advance to the state decathlon in March at several area locations.

Los Angeles High School’s decathletes hope to crush El Camino. In November, the high school placed first in the district during a scrimmage.

“Our goal is not only to win the district competition but also the state and national,” said Bob Carey, a magnet coordinator at L.A. High who recruits the decathlon team members. “The kids say we get dissed [by the media]. Not this year.”

The prestigious competition tests students on art, language, literature, math, music, social science and economics, as well as on their essay writing, speaking and interviewing skills. At UCLA, teams will match wits in the Super Quiz, in which students answer questions about the environment in a College Bowl-style format.

Jane Pollack, a coordinator for LAUSD’s Academic Decathlon, called this year’s competition intense.

“There are several teams looking to bounce El Camino from its spot,” Pollack said. “And this year’s teams are particularly strong.”

Competitors at another top contender, Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, also hope to topple El Camino’s title as defending four-time city champ.

“We’ve been working hard, and we feel confident,” said Lucy Romero, the co-coach at Garfield, which placed second in the city last year and eighth in the state.

Districtwide, decathletes are studying during their vacations, after school and on weekends. At El Camino, students stay until 10 p.m. five days a week and parents take turns bringing in dinner.

“I haven’t had contact with my friends since November,” said Kyle Wilding, 17, a senior.

The time commitment is one of the reasons the school’s two highly regarded coaches quit the decathlon last year.

“I had a great time coaching [for eight years], but I was also burnt out,” said Mark Johnson, who helped El Camino win the national title two years ago.

Last year, El Camino narrowly lost the state championship to another strong competitor, Moorpark High School in Ventura County.

But that’s a worry for later. Right now, the team is focused on the city competition.

“If we don’t win, people will wonder what’s wrong with us,” said Ernest Rasyidi, 17. “If we do win, people will say, ‘Whoop-de-do.’ But that does not matter. We’re doing this for ourselves.”

Added senior Jennifer Beatty, 18, whose brother competed on the national championship team: “[People] will say, ‘You’re not smart enough to win.’ My brother says that, joking. He got to have dinner with the president. But I just let it go and say, ‘Please. I’m smarter than you are. Our team will win.’ ”