KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Over several intellectually grueling and pressure-filled days, the Kelseyville High School Academic Decathlon team put in a solid performance at the state competition, with three team members emerging with medals for their efforts.
The California Academic Decathlon wrapped up on Sunday in Sacramento, with 566 students representing 65 high school teams from across the state, competition officials reported.
Kelseyville High School’s team – Eduardo Alatorre, Blair Brookes, Jennifer Johnson, Daniel Lucas, Caitlin Meisle, Onnivin Pelzel, Maeve Rixen, David Robinson, Helen Ryan, Amanda Spitzer, Tatiana Taranenko and Maxwell Whitaker – finished 18th in Division 3 and 48th overall, according to the competition summary.
The team’s overall score was 35,925 points, down slightly from the 36,390.40 points that won it the county competition in February.
Each team includes three honor students (grade point average of 3.75 and above), three scholastic students (3.00‐3.74 GPA) and three varsity students (2.99 GPA and below), according to competition rules.
Robinson, a senior competing in the scholastic division – he took home 10 medals from the county competition, more than any other student – received three medals in Sacramento, including gold in social science, silver in music and bronze in economics, according to the state results summary. He also won a medal for being team high scorer.
In the varsity division, Eduardo Alatorre received a silver medal in science and Onnivin Pelzel – who received a rare perfect score in the county’s Academic Decathlon for his speech on the qualities of dogs – won a silver medal in speech, according to the state summary results.
“We all had a really great time at the state competition, despite not winning as many medals as we won at the regional competition,” said team member Helen Ryan. “It was a fun experience for all of us, I think.
“The kids had a very good experience,” said Lynn Brookes, whose attended the competition in support of daughter, Blair, and the team.
Los Angeles Unified School District's Granada Hills Charter High School once again won the state competition, scoring 56,165.50 points out of 65,400 possible, with El Camino Real Charter High School placing with 55,669.50 points. Both teams will advance to the 32nd annual United States Academic Decathlon Championship, scheduled for April 25-27, in Minneapolis.
Also eligible to advance to the national meet are Los Angeles Unified’s Franklin High Campolindo High from Contra Costa County and University High of Fresno, which won the large, medium and small school titles, respectively, officials reported.
Brookes said the awards competition took place all day Friday and Saturday, with the awards ceremony taking place from about 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
Back in the Academic Decathlon for only its second year, Kelseyville High’s team worked hard to prepare for the state competition, said Erick Larsen, who co-coaches the team with his sister, Heather Koschik.
Larsen attributed part of the team’s success to other teachers’ efforts to work with students to be well versed on topics of the competition, which this year focused on Russia.
Preparing the team, Larsen said, “was definitely a school effort,” and one that built camaraderie at the school.
When the team left for Sacramento at lunch last Thursday, they got quite a sendoff, said Larsen.
As the team prepared to leave, they got a special escort by Deputy Cynthia Radoumis, the district’s school resource officer, who led them in her patrol car, Larsen said.
Other students lined the school driveway holding signs, with the high school band playing at the bottom of the hill. “It made those kids feel like rock stars,” Larsen said.
The state competition had some changes this year, with Division 3 – where Kelseyville was seated – now up to 31 teams, the state reported.
“The competition really went up,” but the team felt good about its efforts, with Larsen impressed by the students’ behavior and poise.
While in Sacramento, the team practiced its speeches on the steps of the State Capitol, an impressive place for the local students and especially for Russian exchange student Tatiana Taranenko, Larsen said.
“It was just a really, really neat experience,” Larsen said.
On Sunday, the California Academic Decathlon announced that next year’s competition topic will be World War I, a subject Larsen called “intriguing.”
That means it’s already time to start preparing next year’s team. “Recruiting is nonstop,” said Larsen.
Students at all high school class levels are welcome. Larsen said it’s important for students to be well read and have good study habits. Interested students can contact him at the school.
Larsen said next year’s team will have a good foundation group, with many top students returning.
“I’m looking forward to next year,” said Larsen. “I think it will be a lot of fun.”
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