Granada Hills Charter High School won the 2026 United States Academic Decathlon, extending California’s remarkable streak to 23 consecutive national titles, officials announced Saturday.
The 2026 USAD was held April 23-25 in Garden Grove, with a theme of The Roaring Twenties.
Granada Hills’ nine-member team was led by second-year returners Tale Chen and Christopher Gonzalez, and included first-year members Saadan Atif, Serena Chon, Benjamin Cruz, Emmanuel Dominguez, Santiago Garcia-Uriarte, Francesca Molina, and Mia Salinas. Head Coach Tyler Lee and Assistant Coaches Bennett Cohen and Raji Toleco led the young scholars.
“The first time you join a team like this, you don’t know just how intimidating it can be. We were on campus all of winter break. When you truly give something your all — I mean, I can’t believe I’m a national champion!” Cruz said.
Granada Hills placed first overall to win its 10th national title, with 42 individual medals and accomplishments spanning divisions throughout the competition, including Gonzalez, (first place, varsity); Dominguez (second place, varsity); Garcia-Uriarte, (second place, scholastic); and Chon (second place, honors).
“Our students showed tremendous determination and progress all year long. We are extremely proud of them, and our coaches,” GHC CEO/Superintendent Brian Bauer said.
The Academic Decathlon involves 10 events revolving around a central topic in seven subject areas: science, literature, art, music, social science, economics and mathematics. Specific topics this year included Art/Music/Literature of the Jazz Age, Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism, and the U.S. Economy in 1920.
The competition included multiple-choice exams in each subject, as well as essays and speeches. It culminates with a fast-paced Super Quiz relay.
Granada Hills won the 2026 California Academic Decathlon in March. Either GHC or El Camino Real Charter High School has won every national competition since 2009, when Moorpark High School, in Ventura County, won.
No competition was held in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The last time a school from outside California won the national championship was in 2002, when Waukesha West High School, in Wisconsin, took the crown.