Granada Hills Charter HS Wins California Academic Decathlon 3rd Year In A Row

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The nine-member Academic Decathlon team from Granada Hills Charter High School Sunday was named winner of the 2013 California competition, for the third year in a row.

The team scored 56,165.50 points out of a possible 65,400.

Members of the Granada Hills team are Jae Kyung Chong, Seung Woo Baek, Hamidah Mahmud (honor students); Kimberly Ly, Kelley Ma, Kailin Li (scholastic students); Dayoung Kim, Faria Ghori, Beatrice Dimaunahan (varsity students); and coaches Matt Arnold, Spencer Wolf, and Nick Weber.

El Camino Real Charter High School came in second place. That team scored 55,669.50 points.

Members of the team are: Ranbir Dhillon, Jacob Hehir, Johnathan Yih (honor students); Jenny Chi, Brennan Lincoln, Melissa Ngu (scholastic students); Peter Do, Tyler Wong, Julian Zano (varsity students); and coach Stephanie Franklin.

Both teams will represent the state of California and pursue the state's tenth consecutive national title at the 32nd Annual United States Academic Decathlon Championship, scheduled April 25-27, 2013 in Minneapolis, MN.

Since 1987, LAUSD schools have won 19 state contests.

Winners of the 34th Annual California Academic Decathlon were announced today during an awards ceremony in Sacramento, Ca. A total of 65 teams of high school decathletes across the state competed in this year's contest.

In the last 18 years of national competition, California has won the last 10 national titles and has won 15 national titles, overall. In 31 years of national competition, California has placed first or second every year but one.