| Rancho Cucamonga High School
|
|
|
| School Founded |
1991
|
| Team Established |
1992
|
| History |
Consistent top-3 in San Bernardino County.
|
| City |
Rancho Cucamonga, California
|
| Team Colors |
Purple, Silver, and Black
|
| Principal |
Eduardo Zaldivar
|
| Head Coach |
Elysa Martineau
|
| Associate/Other Head Coach(es) |
Kay Williams-Pierce, Chloe Miller
|
| National Championships |
N/A
|
| State Championships |
N/A
|
| Regional/County Championships |
2019
|
| Region/County Location |
San Bernardino
|
| Highest Finish |
1 (County), 4 (State)
|
| School Website |
https://rchs.cjuhsd.net
|
Team History[edit]
Rancho Cucamonga High School is located in Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino County, California. Since its founding, Rancho Cucamonga High School has fielded an Academic Decathlon team for the San Bernardino County competition. Its initial coaches were Karen Gerdes and John Nath. At that time the Academic Decathlon was a club, and students who wished to participate had to meet after school and on weekends. Starting slowly, Rancho’s varsity Academic Decathlon team eventually developed into a force to be reckoned with, vaulting into the top five in the region for 21 of its 27 years of competition. Its first team consisted of Sabrina Bow, Scott Shipley, Andy Wang, Manijha Kadir, Michael Mallari, Chanee Pruett, Amanda Gray, and Nicole Stevens. Those students began a legacy that continues to the present. Since the 1999-2000 year of competition, Rancho Cucamonga High School’s Team Purple has consistently placed in the top five in the region, spending 14 of its competing seasons in the top three. Recently, they have also qualified to and competed at the State Championships several times.
After two years of placing 2nd at the San Bernardino County competition, Rancho Cucamonga High School supplanted Chaffey High School as the county champions in the 2018-2019 season, with a score of 53,608.5, the highest score ever recorded in San Bernardino County. That year, they also ranked 4th in the California state competition, the highest rank that any team in San Bernardino County has ever achieved. For the 2019-2020 season, Mr. Nath's last year of coaching, Team Purple consisted of Syed Ali, Katie Fan, Galen Han, Erin Boshers, Mitul Shah, David Diaz, and Samantha Chadwick. Unfortunately, that year's state competition was swept away by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Nath was a strong leader of the team who marched with his students towards victory. He retired in 2020.
Starting with the 2020-2021 season, Rancho Cucamonga had to search for a new leader. Out of nowhere came a younger, more agile coach. Elysa Martineau, an alumnus who had competed for Rancho Cucamonga in the 2011-2012 season, came back to finally earn that first-place title that she has for so long desired. Her first and most recent Team Purple consists of Aaron Steger, Connor Neely, Syed Ali, Erin Boshers, Machelle Kabir, Sydney Tarman, Katelin Wallace, and Obiajulu Uwaechina.
Score Chart[edit]
| Year |
Round 1 Score |
Rank |
Regionals Score |
Score + SQ |
Rank |
State Score |
Score + SQ |
Rank
|
| 2021 |
27,060.0 |
16 |
39,328.2 |
N/A |
4 |
40,743.7 |
N/A |
25
|
| 2020 |
25,277.2 |
20 |
40,893.1 |
44,743.1 |
2 |
31,940.6 |
34,880.6 |
28
|
| 2019 |
33,511.4 |
3 |
48,498.5 |
53,608.5 |
1 |
47,806.0 |
53,336.0 |
4
|
| 2018 |
29,551.4 |
21 |
47,264.3 |
52,164.3 |
2 |
48,177.7 |
52,377.7 |
9
|
| 2017 |
28,477.0 |
27 |
45,195.0 |
49,545.0 |
2 |
43,244.5 |
-- |
23
|
| 2016 |
23,202.9 |
62 |
40,056.0 |
43,656.0 |
3 |
39,737.5 |
44,312.5 |
43
|
| 2015 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
5 |
DNQ |
DNQ |
DNQ
|
| 2014 |
23,889.0 |
37 |
-- |
40,612.0 |
3 |
DNQ |
DNQ |
DNQ
|
| 2013 |
~23,000.0 |
35 |
40,649.3 |
43,949.3 |
3 |
38,802.4 |
41,427.4 |
34
|
| 2012 |
-- |
-- |
37,985.0 |
-- |
2 |
38,515.2 |
-- |
37
|
Team Performance (2018-21)[edit]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all competitions were moved to online testing platforms. Unlike in the previous year's state competition, all events still took place.
| Student |
Category |
Grade |
Round 1 |
Regionals |
State
|
| Aaron Steger |
Honors |
12 |
5,434.3 |
7,718.4 |
7,886.2
|
| Connor Neely |
Honors |
11 |
5,991.4 |
8,433.4 |
8,734.0
|
| Syed Ali |
Honors |
12 |
5,954.3 |
9,007.7 |
8,840.2
|
| Erin Boshers |
Scholastic |
12 |
5,305.7 |
7,561.3 |
7,977.0
|
| Machelle Kabir |
Scholastic |
11 |
2,508.6 |
4,634.6 |
4,728.0
|
| Sydney Tarman |
Scholastic |
11 |
2,808.6 |
4,480.0 |
5,252.4
|
| Katelin Wallace |
Varsity |
11 |
2,782.9 |
4,977.0 |
5,104.1
|
| Obiajulu Uwaechina |
Varsity |
12 |
2,702.9 |
4,714.3 |
4,836.0
|
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state competition was moved to an online individual testing platform, and scores were extrapolated out of 8 events (online testing excluded speech and interview). David Diaz, for state competition, only competed in the essay event.
| Student |
Category |
Grade |
Round 1 |
Regionals |
State
|
| Galen Han |
Honors |
12 |
5,391.4 |
8,394.1 |
7,392.6
|
| Katie Fan |
Honors |
11 |
5,120.0 |
8,357.1 |
7,803.6
|
| Syed Ali |
Honors |
11 |
5,468.6 |
8,409.7 |
8,393.4
|
| Erin Boshers |
Scholastic |
11 |
4,465.7 |
7,390.8 |
6,840.0
|
| Mitul Shah |
Scholastic |
11 |
2,760.0 |
6,090.3 |
4,376.8
|
| David Diaz |
Varsity |
12 |
3,003.0 |
5,476.4 |
548.0
|
| Samantha Chadwick |
Varsity |
12 |
2,349.0 |
4,594.3 |
3,978.9
|
| Student |
Category |
Grade |
Round 1 |
Regionals |
State
|
| Aaron Steger |
Honors |
10 |
5,608.6 |
8,788.6 |
8,208.6
|
| Cameron Steger |
Honors |
12 |
5,177.1 |
8,503.6 |
8,073.7
|
| Vatsal Jain |
Honors |
12 |
5,611.4 |
7,723.6 |
7,202.1
|
| Chloe Salveson |
Scholastic |
12 |
5,991.4 |
8,492.6 |
8,923.1
|
| David Sudhakar |
Scholastic |
12 |
DNC |
8,257.1 |
8,333.9
|
| Vivek Patel |
Scholastic |
12 |
5,877.1 |
7,383.3 |
7,458.3
|
| Ernesto Pulido |
Varsity |
12 |
4,043.3 |
5,948.3 |
5,737.0
|
| Julia Knowles |
Varsity |
12 |
DNC |
6,009.9 |
5,751.4
|
| Zoe Salveson |
Varsity |
12 |
6,182.9 |
8,446.7 |
8,515.3
|
| Student |
Category |
Grade |
Round 1 |
Regionals |
State
|
| Cameron Steger |
Honors |
11 |
5,054.3 |
8,557.9 |
8,164.3
|
| Dale Lu |
Honors |
12 |
5,477.1 |
8,624.9 |
8,628.1
|
| Vatsal Jain |
Honors |
11 |
5,271.4 |
8,464.3 |
7,836.4
|
| David Sudhakar |
Scholastic |
11 |
4,811.4 |
8,122.3 |
8,619.9
|
| Martin Nunez-Rivera |
Scholastic |
12 |
5,272.9 |
7,975.7 |
7,860.2
|
| Vivek Patel |
Scholastic |
11 |
4,654.3 |
6,948.7 |
7,278.9
|
| Julio Quinones |
Varsity |
12 |
3,694.3 |
6,386.6 |
6,717.1
|
| Zoe Salveson |
Varsity |
11 |
4,742.9 |
7,596.9 |
8,188.1
|
Record Board (2017-21)[edit]
Top State Scores[edit]
Honors
| Place |
Student |
Year |
Score
|
| 1 |
Syed Ali |
2021 |
8,840.2
|
| 2 |
Connor Neely |
2021 |
8,734.0
|
| 3 |
Dale Lu |
2018 |
8,628.1
|
| 4 |
Jorge Villazon |
2017 |
8,442.7
|
| 5 |
Aaron Steger |
2019 |
8,208.6
|
Scholastic
| Place |
Student |
Year |
Score
|
| 1 |
Chloe Salveson |
2019 |
8,923.1
|
| 2 |
David Sudhakar |
2018 |
8,619.9
|
| 3 |
David Sudhakar |
2019 |
8,333.9
|
| 4 |
Erin Boshers |
2021 |
7,977.0
|
| 5 |
Martin Nunez-Rivera |
2018 |
7,860.2
|
Varsity
| Place |
Student |
Year |
Score
|
| 1 |
Zoe Salveson |
2019 |
8,515.3
|
| 2 |
Zoe Salveson |
2018 |
8,188.1
|
| 3 |
Julio Quinones |
2018 |
6,717.1
|
| 4 |
Julia Knowles |
2019 |
5,751.4
|
| 5 |
Ernesto Pulido |
2019 |
5,737.0
|
Top Regionals Scores[edit]
Honors
| Place |
Student |
Year |
Score
|
| 1 |
Syed Ali |
2021 |
9,007,7
|
| 2 |
Jorge Villazon |
2017 |
8,790.0
|
| 3 |
Aaron Steger |
2019 |
8,788.6
|
| 4 |
Dale Lu |
2018 |
8,624.9
|
| 5 |
Cameron Steger |
2018 |
8,557.9
|
Scholastic
| Place |
Student |
Year |
Score
|
| 1 |
Chloe Salveson |
2019 |
8,492.6
|
| 2 |
David Sudhakar |
2019 |
8,257.1
|
| 3 |
David Sudhakar |
2018 |
8,122.3
|
| 4 |
Martin Nunez-Rivera |
2018 |
7,975.7
|
| 5 |
Erin Boshers |
2021 |
7,561.3
|
Varsity
| Place |
Student |
Year |
Score
|
| 1 |
Zoe Salveson |
2019 |
8,446.7
|
| 2 |
Zoe Salveson |
2018 |
7,596.9
|
| 3 |
Julio Quinones |
2018 |
6,386.6
|
| 4 |
Julia Knowles |
2019 |
6,009.9
|
| 5 |
Ernesto Pulido |
2019 |
5,948.3
|
