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Mark Keppel’s students are super at Academic Decathlon’s competitive quiz

An El Monte High School student checks out a clicker in the Honors Super Quiz during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Westley Song, left, and Tyr Lau of Alhambra High School work on a question in the super quiz during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer))

North High School students work on a question during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Volunteer Susan Bishop takes a peek and the questions during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Noah Lim, left, Allen Li, center, and Jeremy Tan of Rowland High School compete in the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Mark Keppel High School students cheer on their team during the super quiz in the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Saugus High School students celebrate in placing in the top five in the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Students from El Rancho High School parade through the gymnasium to begin the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Kaylee Lu, center, of Alhambra High School celebrates in getting a correct answer in the super quiz during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Mark Keppel High School students cheer on their teammates during the varsity portion in the super quiz in the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Saugus High School students cheer on their teammates during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Westley Song, left, and Tyr Lau of Alhambra High School wave their flags after getting a correct answer in the super quiz during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer))

El Rancho High School students celebrate after placing in the top five during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Noah Lim, left, and Allen Li of Rowland High School celebrate a correct answer in the super quiz during the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

A high school student prepares to answer on a clicker during the super quiz in the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

Mark Keppel High School students celebrate in placing in the top five in the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Academic Decathlon teams vie for medals, and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)

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Bragging rites belong to the Academic Decathlon team from Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, after the squad won first place at the Super Quiz portion of the Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon, Saturday, Jan. 28 at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera.

The team from West High School in Torrance came in second, followed by Alhambra High, and North High, also in Torrance. The host team from El Rancho High earned the final berth in the Top 5. Saturday’s competition included schools from all over L.A. County, but not from L.A. Unified, which has its own timetable, including its own Super Quiz next weekend.

Amid the competition and the celebration, organizers didn’t forget the recent tragedies, as a moment of silence was held to honor the victims of last Saturday’s Monterey Park shootings as well as those who were killed in Half Moon Bay and in Des Moines, Iowa.

Karen Shi, 17, of Monterey Park, has spent four years as a member of the winning Keppel team.

“We hope to make this the third year in a row that we win,” she said. “We practice all year, but during competition season we meet everyday at lunch and some Saturdays. I love it, mainly because of the people. I didn’t expect to make such good friends with such amazing people. They make everything so fun.”

Tin Tran, coach of Keppel’s team, said the win is a thrill and an honor.

“It’s very gratifying to not only get the desired results but more importantly to see the kids becoming a real team,” he said. “Hopefully, we can use this momentum for the remainder of the competition. Winning never gets old.”

The Super Quiz and interview portion of the decathlon is part of the three-day scholastic competition. Decathletes will compete in essay writing on Feb. 1 and objective tests on Feb. 4. No one will know who won the whole thing until the awards banquet on Feb. 23.

Each of the 37 schools that competed in the Super Quiz fielded three students per category. There are three categories and 14 questions per category, all related to the theme. This year it is the American Revolution and the New Nation. Students had 10 seconds to answer questions connected to the theme in different subjects such as art, math, and social science.

Ryan Lin, 17, of Monterey Park, said the students in Keppel’s A and B teams challenge each other to do better.

“I think that’s why we do well,” he said. “We also have friendly competition and practice with the teams from San Gabriel High School and Alhambra High. But the friendships you make is what I treasure most about AcaDec.”

The contest returns to in-person competition this year after the pandemic forced it to go virtual. Decathletes represented 59 teams from 37 schools.

The winner of the county round goes on to the state competition in March and then the national competition in Frisco, Texas in April.

Lorelei Rojo, 17, of Lakewood, is a senior at El Rancho High. She said she’s so proud of her team, which finished fifth in the Super Quiz.

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“We really put in the work, and it went so well,” she said. “We were pumped. I really love the competitiveness of this all, seeing how you can answer things quickly, and getting your moment to shine.”

She said her time as a decathlete has taught her to think better on her feet.

With a Super Quiz victory under their belt, the defending champions from Keppel High said post-win that they really just wanted to get on the bus and go home.

“We’re too tired to celebrate right now,” Karen Shi said, “but we’ll do it when we get back to school.”

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