For months, Lauren Monzen, 16, and her teammates at John Marshall High School pored over flashcards, debated complex topics, and spent hours reading in preparation for the competition. But nothing could quite prepare her for the thrill of standing in front of a packed audience, ready to put her knowledge to the test.
“This is my first year at Academic Decathlon,” she said. “I didn’t really think it’d be like this. This is really exciting. I love the energy, and I’m just really happy right now.”
Monzen is one of more than 720 high school students competing in the 44th annual Los Angeles Unified School District Academic Decathlon, an event that brought together 47 teams from across the district for two hours of fast-paced competition Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center gymnasium in downtown Los Angeles.
The culmination of the event, the “Super Quiz relay,” tests students’ knowledge on subjects ranging from economics to the arts, with an overall theme of “Our Changing Climate.” During the relay, decathletes took turns solving tough multiple choice challenges with their teammates. The top scoring team will earn the coveted “Titan Gold Cup.”
At the end of the competition, the tentative score tally placed Verdugo Hills High School in first place, followed by Northridge Academy High School in second, and Garfield High School in third.
The official winner will be announced at the Academic Decathlon Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 22, at East Los Angeles College. The highest-scoring team, as well as any wild-card teams, will advance to the state competition in March in Santa Clara.
Students compete in three divisions to ensure a broad range of participants with varying academic backgrounds. The varsity division includes students with a GPA below 3.199, while those in the scholastic division have GPAs between 3.20 and 3.799. The honor division features students with a GPA of 3.800 or higher.
As the competition unfolded, each correct answer sparked a wave of celebration. Participating students proudly waved green slips of paper–a signal to their coaches, teammates and parents that they had answered correctly. From the back of the gym, cheers erupted as spectators responded with enthusiastic applause and the flutter of homemade signs bearing the school’s name and colors.
Among those cheering on the students were LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho, Board President Scott Schmerelson, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Frances Baez, Region North Superintendent Dr. David Baca, and Educational Transformation Officer Dr. Robert Whitman.
Carvalho said the Decathlon has deep roots in LAUSD, noting that students in the district have participated since 1981.
“And it’s so important because they’re tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues, you know, climate change,” he said. “Considering what our community went through recently with the wildfires, with strong winds, many attributing the severity of those fires to climate change. I’m very proud that our students are leading the way.”
LAUSD has a storied history in the event, holding 23 state titles — more than any other district in California — and 19 national titles, according to the district’s website.
Schmerelson, a long supporter of the Decathlon, said this year’s competition felt particularly meaningful given the challenges the city has faced with the wildfires, and the recent plane crashes in Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.
“What impresses me this year is we have so many problems …it’s just so sad,” he said. “Yet we still come together to celebrate academic excellence, and that is very important.”
That spirit of academic excellence and perseverance is what drew Apollo Colligan, a junior at The Science Academy STEM Magnet, to the Decathlon in the first place.
As a freshman, he was simply looking for an elective class when he stumbled upon his school’s Academic Decathlon team, led by geometry teacher Ben Parks. That year’s theme was the American Revolution–a topic that fascinated him. From there, he never looked back.
“I think definitely the ability for dedication and hard work that this requires is 100% applicable to regular school work,” Colligan said.
Parks, who started coaching the team the same year that Colligan joined, said he takes great pride in watching his students excel.
“These kids, they have the knack for it, and they are excelling at such a high level,” he said. “And it’s just a pleasure to watch them grow.”
The Academic Decathlon is a nationwide educational competition designed for high school students of all academic achievement levels. Each year, the United States Academic Decathlon selects a central theme that is integrated across six subject areas: art, economics, literature, music, science, and social science.
The competition consists of five key events: an essay, an interview, a prepared speech, knowledge tests, and the highly anticipated Super Quiz, which takes place in front of a live audience.
Last year, Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (SOCES) claimed the Superintendent’s Trophy for the second consecutive year for winning the 43rd Annual LAUSD Academic Decathlon.