Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles won the Superintendent’s Trophy in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s 45th Annual Academic Decathlon.
The competition was held in early February, and the results were announced Feb. 28 at an awards ceremony at the school.
Garfield earned 44,336.10 out of 60,000 points, and will advance to the California Academic Decathlon on March 19-22 in Santa Clara, along with the next seven top-scoring district schools.
The Garfield team consisted of Derek Dominguez, Ana Santos, Davian Valladares, Joseph Villa, Liana Lopez, Julie Lopez, David Ventura, Kimberly Palacios and Briana Zuniga.
Also advancing were Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies with 42,263.20 points, Van Nuys High School with 41,714.60 points, John Marshall High School with 41,241.70 points, Bell High School with 41,129.50 points, Abraham Lincoln High School with 40,181.70 points, Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy with 40,056.80 points, and The Science Academy STEM Magnet with 39,849.30 points.
“Congratulations to all of our top-scoring schools in this year’s Academic Decathlon, including the outstanding team from James A. Garfield High School,” acting Superintendent Andres Chait said. “We are excited to see you represent our community at the upcoming competition in Santa Clara. I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the dedicated coaches, supportive school leaders, and every participating school. Your commitment to your education and perseverance inspires us all.”
Board Vice President Rocío Rivas added her praise
“Congratulations to the students and educators of James A. Garfield High School and all our top teams,” Rivas said. “This reflects the real progress taking shape across our district and the momentum we’re building as they represent our communities at the California Academic Decathlon.”
In Los Angeles County, Alhambra High School claimed the Academic Decathlon championship for the third consecutive year.
Competing against 61 teams and 475 decathletes from across Los Angeles County, Alhambra had a winning score of 49,044 points, narrowly edging out an intensely competitive field. The month-long academic competition culminated at a celebratory awards luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles County Office of Education aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
“These students represent the very best of what academic dedication and perseverance look like,” said Debra Duardo, Los Angeles County superintendent of schools. “Their achievements reflect countless hours of preparation, the unwavering support of their coaches and families, and a commitment to excellence that extends far beyond the classroom. I am incredibly proud of every student who participated.”
Alhambra High School was followed by Mark Keppel High School with 49,041 points, West Torrance High School with 48,039 points, El Rancho High School with 47,476 points and South El Monte High School with 43,719 points.
The top three scoring decathletes in the county were Ivan Luu of Mark Keppel High School, 9,190 points; Tanner Donald, West Torrance, 9,084 points and Amber Kuo of Mark Keppel High School, 8,877 points
For the first time in the program’s history, two coaches were honored with the prestigious Roberta Kordich Coach Award. Coach Carlos Melgar and Coach Steve Francis of El Rancho High School received the award, which recognizes coaches who exemplify extraordinary dedication by inspiring students to achieve excellence beyond the fundamentals of competition. This year’s recipients were nominated by their students for fostering a positive, inclusive and motivating team culture.
