The nine-member El Camino Real Charter High School Academic Decathlon team will make a triumphant return to the Southland Monday evening after winning the state competition.
El Camino, which won the Los Angeles Unified School District Academic Decathlon in February, bested reigning national champion Granada Hills Charter High School over the weekend to win the statewide competition. Granada Hills had won the state and national title six of the past seven years — interrupted only by El Camino, which won in 2014.
El Camino’s team will compete for the national title April 19-22 in Frisco, Texas.
The Woodland Hills school’s team is scheduled to return to the Southland at 9 p.m. Monday, flying into Burbank.
The nine members of the team are Inesh Ahuja, Ashtar Fayoumi, Matthew Fitzmorris, Briana Lincoln, Rachel Markenson, Nolan Origer, Avery Tamura, Maya Teitz and Trevor Winnard. They are coached by Stephanie Franklin.
The Academic Decathlon tests students from across the country in 10 categories: art, economics, music, language and literature, mathematics, science, social science, speech, interview, and essay. The contest culminates in the Super Quiz — a Jeopardy-style event that pulls from each subject. This year’s questions focused on the theme of Africa.