Rancho Cucamonga High School
| 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 | Azande Aikens |
| Head Coach | Elysa Martineau |
| Associate/Other Head Coach(es) | Benjamin Nelson |
| 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 |
The Epic Saga of Rancho Cucamonga High School's Academic Decathlon Team[edit]
Once upon a time in the wilds of Rancho Cucamonga, where the cougars scream (like ADULTS, not children...) and the grapevines grow rampant, emerged a band of doe-eyed scholars destined for glory...
Chapter 1: The Humble Beginnings
In the year of 1991, Rancho Cucamonga High School (RCHS) opened its doors to eager young minds. In just ONE year, a select few dared to challenge the gods of knowledge by forming an Academic Decathlon team. Guided by the wise sages, Karen Gerdes and John Nath, these pioneers met after school and on weekends (because who needs free time?) to prepare for intellectual battle.
Chapter 2: The Rise of Team Purple
Like a phoenix from the ashes (or perhaps just well-rested students after finals), RCHS's varsity Academic Decathlon team ascended the ranks. For 21 out of 27 years, they secured a coveted spot of top five in the region. Their secret? A balanced diet of flashcards and caffeine.
Chapter 3: The Legendary First Squad
The original heroes—Sabrina Bow, Scott Shipley, Andy Wang, Manijha Kadir, Michael Mallari, Chanee Pruett, Amanda Gray, and Nicole Stevens—set the gold standard (or at least bronze, but who's counting?). Their legacy? Proving that brains and school spirit make an unbeatable combo.
Chapter 4: Consistency is Key
Since the 1999-2000 season, Team Purple has been as reliable as peanut butter and jelly, consistently placing in the top five. Then, in the 2011-2012 season, Team Purple (which included future Coach Martineau) reached an impressive feat: they were going to state, baby! Impressively, they've spent 18 seasons in the top three and have graced the State Championships with their presence for the past 10 consecutive years. While first place has been elusive since Coach Nath, one day... one day...
Chapter 5: The 2018-2019 Triumph
After placing second for two years, RCHS dethroned Chaffey High School in the 2018-2019 season with a jaw-dropping score of 53,608.5 (48,498.5)—the highest ever recorded in San Bernardino County. They didn't stop there; they also clinched 4th place at the California state competition, making other teams question their life decisions.
Chapter 6: The 2019-2020 Season – A Bittersweet Symphony
In Mr. Nath's farewell tour as coach, Team Purple featured stars like Syed Ali, Katie Fan, Galen Han, Erin Boshers, Mitul Shah, David Diaz, and Samantha Chadwick. Alas, their shot at state glory was thwarted by the villainous COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Nath, the ever wise ruler of the team, hung up his coaching hat in 2020.
Chapter 7: The Return of the Alumna (2020-2021)
In the 2020-2021 season, a new, younger, more agile hero appeared, arising from the depths: Elysa Martineau, an RCHS alumna from the 2011-2012 season. With the determination of a student who realized she forgot to study the day before the test, she returned to lead Team Purple to the first-place finish she had always dreamed of. Her first team Purple included names like Aaron Steger, Connor Neely, Syed Ali, Erin Boshers, Machelle Kabir, Sydney Tarman, Katelin Wallace, and Obiajulu Uwaechina. While this team performed well, they got 4th in their debut season. While strong, this did not satisfy the hunger of these young cougars.
Chapter 8: Return of the Hopes
Since then, Coach Martineau has slowly been working up her teams to outdo Mr. Nath and his record of 48,000. One record, however, Supreme Leader Martineau holds against Nath: a 9000 individual score. In the 2020-2021 season, Syed Ali achieved a San Bernardino record-breaking score at the regional competition of 9007.7. The first to achieve this feat under the careful guidance of Martineau, Nath will never be able to say he had the higher score... Since that competition, the team has consistently placed in the top 3 of the region.
Chapter 9: The Purple Renaissance (24-25)
When doubts started to arise about whether or not Rancho would ever reach Coach Nath's levels ever again, Rancho, as the kids say, "locked in." In the 2024-2025 season, Martineau's Team Purple achieved the highest regional score of any of her years coaching: 40,693. Rumors say that their top scorer, Bobby Erickson, pushed their team to the limits, lecturing on everything from math to literature, making schedules (especially sleep schedules for the caffeine driven, sleep deprived Jasper Song and Angelina Tran), and critiquing their speeches. In an attempt to revolt against authority, the crew managed to catch Bobby (in his alter-ego form, Terry Bisson) in a compromising position: locked out of his room where he could no longer be the nightmare that haunts their dreams. However, Bobby managed to return... he always does... Once back in his room, he stared in disbelief as his members were turning on each other for trifles like "Is matcha with water, still a latte?" Trifles aside, they locked in, especially my GOAT Bobby with a 21.7% carry percentage. At the final showdown of the season, they took home bronze in Super Quiz and made memories to last for generations (while also getting enough sleep every night).
Chapter 10: Truly. Locked. In. (25-26)
Something new was stirring in the air... it was a feeling. Or perhaps it was the RATS. Terry Bisson disappeared to the shadows, and many others retired. Yet... revenge held strong in the hearts of a new Team Purple. Some familiar faces returned, such as the still recovering (from sleep deprivation) Angelina Tran and Jasper Song, standout scholastics Bryce Boone and Sofia Rosette, as well as some new faces to Team Purple such as Rohan Walia, Katherine Magwood, Adichie Ikeanyi, and siblings Aaliyah Thompson and Nylah Thompson. With so many newcomers, one might wonder the fate of the destined Team Purple this season, and yet, hope rose since the beginning. A Round 1 score of nearly 27,000 was the highest they have seen in 5 years... could this be the year Rancho beat Chaffey? It was time for Rancho to be Truly. Locked. In. Late nights. Practice tests. RATS. All roads lead to Tom Buchanan. T.B. Who else has those initials...? Speeches. Trig. Team Purple was ready. They took to their testing rooms... and perhaps flames came off their pencils as they cooked so hard through each and every test, essay, speech, and interview (yes, FIRE came from their pencils). The moment of reckoning was upon them - Awards. Stirring in their seats, Rancho through individual event awards as many of them were called for the best of awards: they were indeed cooking. Angelina Tran, after years of battle with changing answers too often (and sleep), found her revenge in possibly one of the greatest comeback stories of all time, with finally achieving a coveted silver medal in music. Two additional names stood out above the rest: JASPER SONG and BRYCE BOONE!!! Jasper, the Rancho top scorer and Honors leader, won first in Literature, Science and Speech. The Song Dynasty was truly insurmountable, and taking hold of the competition. And then... there was Bryce (also known as Bruce, Brick, Branch, and "The One Who Wanted To Retire But Couldn't"). Bryce truly. locked. in. Again and again, when an award was won, you could expect it to be his name. By the end, he was the winner of the entire scholastic category, immortalized as the highest scoring scholastic in 7 years. Then, it was time for team awards. Pinkies interlocked, Rancho awaited their fate. Second Place. Chaffey beat them. BUT. There was still hope. They saw their score... and it was a whopping 44,341. Only 1,500 points away from Chaffey. A score thousands higher than any since 2019. The team knew what they had to do. It was time to destroy Chaffey at state.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Score Chart[edit]
| Year | Round 1 Score | Rank | Regionals Score | Score + SQ | Rank | State Score | Score + SQ | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26,895.0 | 18 | 44,341.0 | N/A | 2 | - | N/A | - |
| 2025 | 23,540.0 | 40 | 40,693.0 | N/A | 2 | 40,180.2 | N/A | 18 |
| 2024 | N/A | N/A | 38,261.0 | N/A | 2 | 36,778.9 | N/A | 23 |
| 2023 | N/A | N/A | 34,097.0 | N/A | 2 | 33,733.7 | N/A | 41 |
| 2022 | 15,129.0 | N/A | 34,325.0 | N/A | 2 | 28,339.1 | N/A | 65 |
| 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 (2018-25)[edit]
2026[edit]
| Student | Category | Grade | Round 1 | Regionals | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liancheng Song | Honors | 12 | 6,003.0 | - | - |
| Angelina Tran | Honors | 11 | N/A | - | - |
| Rohan Walia | Honors | 10 | 4,100.0 | - | - |
| Bryce Boone | Scholastic | 12 | 4,320.0 | - | - |
| Aaliyah Thompson | Scholastic | 11 | 4,123.0 | - | - |
| Sofia Rosette | Scholastic | 12 | 3,154.0 | - | - |
| Nylah Thompson | Varsity | 9 | 4,243.0 | - | - |
| Katherine Magwood | Varsity | 9 | 4,106.0 | - | - |
| Adichie Ikeanyi | Varsity | 12 | N/A | - | - |
2025[edit]
| Student | Category | Grade | Round 1 | Regionals | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liancheng Song | Honors | 11 | N/A | 7,738.0 | 7,657.1 |
| Robert Erickson | Honors | 12 | 5,394.0 | 8,608.0 | 8,753.0 |
| Angelina Tran | Honors | 10 | 4,094.0 | 6,611.0 | 7,015.7 |
| Adam Halabi | Scholastic | 12 | 3,777.0 | 6,574.0 | 6,141.4 |
| Alannah Ly | Scholastic | 12 | 2,960.0 | 5,475.0 | 5,575.0 |
| Sofia Rosette | Scholastic | 11 | 3,220.0 | 5,301.0 | 5,541.6 |
| Scarlett Gallagher | Varsity | 12 | 3,846.0 | 6,616.0 | 6,353.7 |
| Bryce Boone | Varsity | 11 | 2,511.0 | 5,682.0 | 4,602.3 |
| Liam Lane | Varsity | 12 | 3,197.0 | 4,536.0 | 5,728.6 |
2024[edit]
| Student | Category | Grade | Round 1 | Regionals | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aya Suleiman | Honors | 12 | N/A | 7,357.0 | 6,433.6 |
| Robert Erickson | Honors | 11 | N/A | 7,190.0 | 7,297.1 |
| Vaishnavi Aedavalli | Honors | 11 | N/A | 5,551.0 | 5,318.9 |
| Christophe Tahye | Scholastic | 12 | N/A | 6,497.0 | 5,894.6 |
| Lucas Benitez-Lopez | Scholastic | 12 | N/A | 5,628.0 | 5,483.3 |
| Emily Calvillo | Scholastic | 12 | N/A | 6,128.0 | 5,795.7 |
| Jael Renfro | Varsity | 12 | N/A | 5,841.0 | 6,062.5 |
| Reilly Clanor | Varsity | 12 | N/A | 5,248.0 | 4,564.3 |
| Rebecca Zin | Varsity | 12 | N/A | 4,344.0 | 5,295.4 |
2023[edit]
| Student | Category | Grade | Round 1 | Regionals | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aya Suleiman | Honors | 11 | N/A | 6,905.0 | 6,533.6 |
| Esther He | Honors | 10 | N/A | 6296.0 | 6,535.0 |
| Ananya Prayaga | Honors | 11 | N/A | 5951.0 | 5,990.7 |
| Christophe Tahye | Scholastic | 11 | N/A | 5,262.0 | 4,914.3 |
| Reilly Clanor | Scholastic | 11 | N/A | 5,160.0 | 4,595.0 |
| Emily Calvillo | Scholastic | 11 | N/A | 5,070.0 | 5,412.5 |
| Jimmy Bermudez Prine | Varsity | 11 | N/A | 5,396.0 | 5,005.4 |
| Isis Ross | Varsity | 12 | N/A | 5,078.0 | 5,332.9 |
| Mackenzie Larson | Varsity | 12 | N/A | 4,463.0 | 4,175.4 |
2022[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 occurred.
| Student | Category | Grade | Round 1 | Regionals | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aya Suleiman | Honors | 10 | 4,569.0 | 7,058.0 | 5,662.6 |
| Connor Neely | Honors | 12 | 5,986.0 | 8,255.0 | 7,868.1 |
| Jonathan Ly | Honors | 12 | 0 | 6,946.0 | 5,809.1 |
| Sachman Pannu | Scholastic | 12 | 0 | 5,901.0 | 5,376.1 |
| Katelin Wallace | Scholastic | 12 | 2,374.0 | 4,527.0 | 4,398.6 |
| Debanhi Magana Aguilar | Scholastic | 12 | 0 | 4,150.0 | 4,320.3 |
| Emilie Correz | Varsity | 12 | 0 | 4,667.0 | 4,887.3 |
| Esmeralda Quinones | Varsity | 12 | 2,200.0 | 3,917.0 | 0 |
2021[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 |
2020[edit]
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 |
2019[edit]
| 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 |
2018[edit]
| 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 (2017-25)[edit]
Top State Scores[edit]
| Place | Student | Year | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syed Ali | 2021 | 8,840.2 | 15 |
| 2 | Robert Erickson | 2025 | 8,753.4 | 13 |
| 3 | Connor Neely | 2021 | 8,734.0 | 22 |
| 4 | Dale Lu | 2018 | 8,628.1 | 37 |
| 5 | Jorge Villazon | 2017 | 8,442.7 | - |
| Place | Student | Year | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chloe Salveson | 2019 | 8,923.1 | 4 |
| 2 | David Sudhakar | 2018 | 8,619.9 | 14 |
| 3 | David Sudhakar | 2019 | 8,333.9 | 12 |
| 4 | Erin Boshers | 2021 | 7,977.0 | 13 |
| 5 | Martin Nunez-Rivera | 2018 | 7,860.2 | 33 |
| Place | Student | Year | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoe Salveson | 2019 | 8,515.3 | 4 |
| 2 | Zoe Salveson | 2018 | 8,188.1 | 13 |
| 3 | Julio Quinones | 2018 | 6,717.1 | - |
| 4 | Scarlett Gallagher | 2025 | 6,353.7 | - |
| 5 | Jael Renfro | 2024 | 6,062.5 | - |
Top Regionals Scores[edit]
| Place | Student | Year | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syed Ali | 2021 | 9,007,7 | 2 |
| 2 | Jorge Villazon | 2017 | 8,790.0 | - |
| 3 | Aaron Steger | 2019 | 8,788.6 | 1 |
| 4 | Dale Lu | 2018 | 8,624.9 | 3 |
| 5 | Robert Erickson | 2025 | 8,608.0 | 2 |
| Place | Student | Year | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chloe Salveson | 2019 | 8,492.6 | 1 |
| 2 | David Sudhakar | 2019 | 8,257.1 | 2 |
| 3 | David Sudhakar | 2018 | 8,122.3 | 1 |
| 4 | Martin Nunez-Rivera | 2018 | 7,975.7 | 2 |
| 5 | Erin Boshers | 2021 | 7,561.3 | 4 |
| Place | Student | Year | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoe Salveson | 2019 | 8,446.7 | 1 |
| 2 | Zoe Salveson | 2018 | 7,596.9 | 2 |
| 3 | Scarlett Gallagher | 2025 | 6,616.0 | 2 |
| 4 | Julio Quinones | 2018 | 6,386.6 | 5 |
| 5 | Julia Knowles | 2019 | 6,009.9 | 5 |
