The Oakdale High School Academic Decathlon team captured a second place spot in Division II and were ranked 11th overall, with a team score of 46,680.6 points, at the California Academic Decathlon State Finals in Sacramento, March 14-17.

OHS Aca Dec team coach Linda Dodge reported that several OHS team members collected individual medals. Team High Score went to Madison Lane with 8140.4 points. Lane also collected a gold medal in Art and a silver in Economics. Dylan Hawksworth-Lutzow won bronze medals in Art, Economics, Language and Literature, and Science. Jarrod Colvin won silvers in Economics and Essay. Liz Erwin took a silver in Language and Literature. Adam Jensen won gold medals in Economics and Music and a silver in Speech. Thomas Dempsey won gold in Essay, and bronzes in Science and Speech. Fernando Cruz earned a silver in speech. Alexander Keyser and Jared Medeiros were also part of the nine-member competing team.

The state competition is divided into three divisions based on their regional score: Division I (top 10 highest scoring teams), Division II (next top 20 highest scoring teams), and Division III (next top 31 highest scoring teams). The format allows teams to compete with other teams of similar scores for individual honor in 10 various subjects. Furthermore, it gives emerging counties the opportunity to experience a state championship and a chance for their decathletes to attain medals for their achievement at a level of competition that best fits their team’s ability.

In all, 566 students representing 65 high school teams from across the state competed in this year’s California Academic Decathlon. Teams are comprised of three Honor students (3.75 and above GPA), three Scholastic students (3.00-3.74 GPA), and three Varsity students (2.99 GPA and below).

Los Angeles Unified School District’s Granada Hills Charter High School won the 2013 California Academic Decathlon with a score of 56,165.50 points out of 65,400 possible, earning the school the state title this year. El Camino Real Charter High School placed second. Both nine-member teams will represent the state of California and pursue the state’s 10th consecutive national title at the 32nd Annual United States Academic Decathlon Championship, scheduled April 25–27 in Minneapolis, Minn.

The winners were announced before an enthusiastic crowd at the 2013 California Academic Decathlon’s award ceremony at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.

California has won the last 10 national titles and has won 15 national titles in the past 18 years of national competition. In 31 years of national competition, California has placed first or second every year but one.

To learn more about the California Academic Decathlon, visit the CAD website at http://www.academicdecathlon.org.