Simi Valley High Wins Academic Decathlon

For a second year running, students from Simi Valley High School swept Ventura County’s Academic Decathlon, outthinking 13 teams in a contest that prizes smarts over strength.

“I don’t know if English words have been invented yet to describe how I feel,” said Simi Valley’s Brian Mercurio, 17, clutching a handful of plaques as his team was awarded first place. “But it has something to do with happy.”

Brian and eight teammates took top honors in the 15th annual academic contest held Saturday at Oxnard High School. The parochial La Reina High School from Thousand Oaks took second place, and Simi’s rival Moorpark High took third.

Simi and Moorpark have jostled for top honors for the last four years, with Moorpark winning in 1993 and 1994 before Simi began its winning streak.

“I know Simi had to work really hard to beat my kids, so hats off to Simi,” said Moorpark coach Larry Jones.

Wearing matching corsages of a crimson rose and a gold-dipped sprig of baby’s breath, the jubilant Simi Valley team members embraced and took turns hoisting a 3-foot trophy.

After a party for the team--which brought a stuffed cow named Norman to the contest for luck--it’s back to work, said captain Nicholas Briggs, 17.

“Tomorrow, I do homework,” said Nicholas, who was the competition’s highest individual scorer and the only returning member from last year’s squad. “We start studying for states in a couple of weeks.”

The Simi Valley team--evenly split among A, B and C students--will represent the county in March in the California State Academic Decathlon held in Pomona. A Ventura County team has never captured top state honors, which are often snatched by powerhouse Los Angeles and Orange County teams.

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All day, serious-looking students in their best duds strode around the Oxnard campus, taking 10 tests in subjects ranging from economics and essay writing to visual arts, literature, mathematics and social sciences. Students also had to give speeches and ace interviews.

“You really have to be a Renaissance-type of person to compete in 10 areas,” said Rob Collins, one of Simi Valley’s two coaches. “To get students to excel in all areas--that’s the challenge of this competition.”

Decathlon participants often forsake weekend activities, free time and days off to prep for the cerebral contest.

While students took their tests in classrooms, the assembled coaches fretted, paced the quadrangle and checked the score postings often.

“It’s just real nerve-racking,” said Moorpark’s Jones, a world history teacher. “I brought a whole briefcase full of papers to grade. . . . That briefcase is still sitting in my car.”

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The skills learned in Academic Decathlon are applicable in the real world, said Ken Hibbitts, the other Simi Valley coach. “These are very marketable skills. Most high school student don’t ever go through an interview. They don’t know how to make a speech.”

The anxiety grew exponentially during the Super Quiz--the final stomach-turning, nail-biting event, akin to the “College Bowl” or “Jeopardy!”

During the Super Quiz, students proved their technological acumen, answering questions about the information revolution ranging from the 1976 revision of copyright law to the definition of a computer “hacker.”

La Reina emerged victorious from the Super Quiz, but was unable to catch Simi Valley.

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Like a pep rally for wunderkinder, the Super Quiz was attended by doting parents toting cameras, nervous teachers jotting down answers and students who alternately chanted “Si-mi, Si-mi” and “Moooorrrpark.”

The Super Quiz “gives students an opportunity to excel academically the same way students do athletically,” said County Schools Supt. Charles Weis, who moderated the event. “It just gives, hopefully, a different group of students a chance to shine.”

The athletics analogy didn’t quite work for Adolfo Camarillo High School student Tom Means.

“Why aren’t there cheerleaders here?” he jokingly asked during the fast-paced quiz. “The football players get ‘em.”