3 Valley Schools Steal the Show in Super Quiz

Three San Fernando Valley schools swept the Super Quiz portion of the state Academic Decathlon on Saturday evening, with Bishop Alemany High School of Mission Hills in first, followed by El Camino Real of Woodland Hills and Burbank High, according to preliminary results.

Nearly 400 students from 50 high schools competed in the public Super Quiz at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester.

The Alemany victory was cause for immediate celebration, team member Timothy Whelan, 17, said.

“I know we could do it,” the Alemany senior said, referring to clinching the overall championship. “I knew we were going to get it right as they were reading the questions. We’re going to have fun tonight.”

The overall state decathlon winner will be announced today at an awards banquet at the Marriott Hotel at Los Angeles International Airport after final Super Quiz results are tallied. The state champion will compete next month in the national decathlon in San Antonio.

“It’s going to be so close,” said El Camino Real team member Ernest Rasyidi, 18, a senior. “It’s going to come down to who coughed in the interview.”

The Academic Decathlon required students to take tests in social studies, economics, math, music, literature and fine arts. A written portion of the Super Quiz was held Friday and interviews and speech contests were judged Saturday.

The nine-member teams were required to rapidly write out answers to questions on this year’s theme--environmental science--in front of hundreds of spectators.

Alemany senior Melissa Cortina, 17, said she was proud of her team’s winning efforts. “It’s a public event, so everyone gets to see how well you do. It’s exhilarating.”

Out of a possible 60 points, Bishop Alemany earned 56, El Camino Real had 55 and Burbank had 52.

There was a five-way tie for fourth place, with Los Angeles, Palisades Charter (Pacific Palisades), Laguna Hills, Simi Valley and Moorpark high schools each earning 51 points.

Following at 50 points were Palos Verdes Peninsula (Rolling Hills Estates), Marshall (Los Angeles) and San Pedro high schools.

Coaches and students say the public quiz competition is especially exciting because so many people watch, and the event can be an indicator of who will be the overall winner.

Team spirit was evident with the Burbank High team, whose members wore bright yellow hard hats and orange construction worker-type vests.

“Nine months of work paid off,” said Erik Swanson, 17, a Burbank team member. “We emphasized Super Quiz the most.”

Students were asked to describe the El Nino weather condition. (The answer: a massive ridge of warm seawater in the Pacific.)

Another question: What is the most endangered type of forest, according to a World Watch Institute report? (The answer: a temperate forest).

Moorpark High School from Ventura County won the national championship in 1999 and El Camino Real clinched it in 1998.

The teams include three students each from A-, B- and C-grade groups.

Teams spend nearly 20 hours a week studying from a syllabus published by the U.S. Academic Decathlon, in addition to doing their regular schoolwork.