Richard Quinn / Special to The Star Students from Moorpark High School cheer their Academic Decathlon team at this year's Super Quiz. Moorpark unofficially won the event.

Academic Super Quiz

  
Watch students from around Ventura County as they go through the trials and tribulations of the Academic Decathlon's Super Quiz.
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Photos by Richard Quinn / Special to The Star Moorpark High School Academic Decathlon coach Larry Jones hugs team member Kari Geiger. From left are Kris Sankaran and Paul Watanabe.

Larry Jones has trouble remembering off the top of his head exactly how many Academic Decathlons he's coached over the years. Maybe 14? Fifteen?

And his Moorpark High School team has earned a reputation as a tour de academic force after going to the state finals 10 times and taking home two national titles.

So the Super Quiz, which is the most dynamic, spectator-friendly part of the competition should be easy on Jones, right? Fat chance.

"It's like expecting a baby," he said. "You are nervous and excited, but there's not much you can do."

Lucky for him, his baby was born with a near-perfect IQ.

Jones and his Moorpark High School team once again unofficially won the Super Quiz, this time with the best score — nailing 57 out of 60 questions — the team has gotten at the county competition. Official results are expected today. The final results of the competition, which is a series of written and oral tests, will be announced at a Monday evening ceremony.

The Moorpark team was one of 18 that competed at this year's Super Quiz, which was held at Pacifica High School on Saturday and dealt with questions about the Civil War. These were hardly questions about which side won or who wore the gray uniforms. They were tough questions about President Lincoln's entire Cabinet, historians' opinions on nuances of the war and which battle was the bloodiest at which point. It may not be everyone's favorite way to spend a Saturday, but for the scores of students who have been cramming for weeks, it was bliss.

"I always wanted to be in the Academic Decathlon," said Neil Mani Paik, a member of the Moorpark team. His family moved to Moorpark from Chatsworth for the sole reason of getting Neil on the team. His mother, Ranu Paik, said the experience teaches kids about much more than historic battles; it educates them on working hard, achieving goals and setting your mind on task. For the past few days, Neil had been in a quiet zone of sorts, combing through every iota of information about the Civil War.

When the time came to put his knowledge to the test, he missed an easy question but got hold of his nerves and helped propel the team to its win.

Andrew Neverrez of Adolfo Camarillo High School said the work was worth it, but he's glad it's over.

"We are tired," he said.

It was Chrissa Rutkai's first year competing, and at first she didn't think "fun" would be a word to describe the experience.

But after spending all those hours with her newfound friends, that was exactly the word she used.

"I didn't think it would be fun because all you do is study," the Moorpark High School senior said, "but when you are all part of this big thing, it's just more fun."

To show that this was supposed to be a fun, if often serious, event the students dressed to show their wild side.

Thousand Oaks High School students donned stovepipe hats like Lincoln's. Oxnard High School competitors wore hats modeled after those worn by the Union troops. Oak Park High School kids, for no reason other than to be goofy, wore white painter's jumpsuits.

"We wanted to have something crazy and stupid," said Oak Park High School junior Teddy Yoo. "Even though we study a lot, we are still teenagers who like to have fun."