West High School climbs to victory in L.A. County Academic Decathlon
West HS of Torrance was led by top-scoring decathlete Kendall Kirio (second from right) to win the 2019 L.A. County Academic Decathlon. Also shown are (l-r) LACOE Supt. Debra Duardo, team coach Ann Cortina and West High’s Bob Ronne and Joanne Fahey.
West High School of Torrance outsmarted all others to win the 2019 Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon (LACAD) team title and earn a berth in the state competition.
West, among the top five finishers in recent years, won with 54,459 points (out of a possible 60,000) with Mark Keppel High School of Alhambra finishing second with 52,823 points.
West was led this year by the top overall scorer in the competition, Kendall Kirio. By winning the LACAD, West automatically advances to the California Academic DecathlonMarch 22-24 in Sacramento.
But because their scores were high enough to qualify, an additional seven Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon high school teams were invited to participate in the state competition as “wild card” entrants. They are: Mark Keppel (Alhambra), Beverly Hills, Edgewood (West Covina), Rosemead, El Rancho (Pico Rivera), Redondo Union and Palos Verdes Peninsula.Rounding out the top five teams: Beverly Hills HS in third (52,373 points), Edgewood HS of West Covina in fourth (45,657) and Rosemead HS in fifth (44,599 points).
The Los Angeles County Office of Education, the event organizer, announced the 2019 LACAD results Feb. 7 at the Quiet Cannon Country Club in Montebello. A total of 50 teams and nearly 400 students participated in the LACAD, including 11 squads in the Junior Division. The competition took place Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 at El Rancho HS in Pico Rivera.
West HS, under Coach Ann Cortina, was led by Kirio, a junior, who scored 9,259 points (out of a possible 10,000). Katie Wu, a senior from Beverly Hills, was a close second in the overall individual scoring with 9,106 points, followed by Anoushka Gupta, a junior from West, who tallied 8,779 points.
Decathlon teams are comprised of students from all grade-point averages. Decathletes are challenged to use analytical skills, performance abilities and writing aptitude in seven knowledge tests (Art, Economics, Literature, Math, Music, Science and Social Science) as well as Interview, Speech and Essay. Students also compete in the fast-paced Super Quiz, a multiple-choice challenge held in front of a live audience.
The LACAD is open to public high schools outside of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which holds a separate academic decathlon competition and awards ceremony.
The academic decathlon, which this year focused on the subject “The 1960s: A Transformational Decade,” is a local-county/state/national program designed to promote self-assurance, academic enrichment and teamwork. The state winner earns a trip to the U.S. Academic Decathlon April 25-27 in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Read coverage by the Los Angeles Times here.
Watch a short video of the competition here.
KEY TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL RESULTS Top 20 Team Scores (out of a possible 60,00 points): 39 schools competing
1. West HS (Torrance) — 54,459
2. Mark Keppel (Alhambra): — 52,823
3. Beverly Hills HS — 52,373
4. Edgewood HS (West Covina): — 45,657
5. Rosemead HS — 44,599
6. El Rancho HS (Pico Rivera) — 43,948
7. Redondo Union HS — 43,929
8. Palos Verdes Peninsula HS — 43,123
9. Saugus HS — 41,798
10. Rowland HS — 41,637
11. South HS (Torrance) — 40,414
12. Hart HS (Santa Clarita) — 38,489
13. Glendora HS — 36,628
14. Torrance HS — 36,137
15. Arroyo HS (El Monte) — 36,029
16. North HS (Torrance) — 35,864
17. West Ranch (Stevenson Ranch) — 35,778
18. Alhambra HS — 34,265
19. Mountain View HS (El Monte) — 34,138
20. San Gabriel HS — 34,122
Top 3 Overall Individual Scorers (out of a possible 10,000 points):
1. Kendall Kirio, West HS, 11th grade — 9,259
2. Katie Wu, Beverly Hills HS, 12th grade — 9,106
3. Anoushka Gupta, West HS, 11th grade — 8,779
Schools with Most Improved Scores (compared to last year):
Beverly Hills HS — 8,335-point improvement
California Academy of Math & Science (Long Beach) — 5,560-point improvement
Bassett HS (La Puente) — 4,947-point improvement
Rookie School of the Year
South El Monte – 29,159 (25th place overall)
Roberta Kordich Coach Award (for commitment & dedication)
Coach Aimee Gauvreau, Redondo Union HS
The Los Angeles County Office of Education, based in Downey, provides services and programs to support the region’s 80 school districts and some 2 million preschool and school-age children. The LACAD is presented in partnership with the California Credit Union.
