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Grossmont Athletic Conference

League Champions 2007-08

The Californian has printed an article about the Academic League Competition in the GUHSD. It is on the front page of the recent, December 13th edition and is entitled: "Brainiacs: The best kept secret for 25 years, Grossmont District's Academic League".

-The DRS
Academic League Office

Grossmont Union High School District Academic League Competition:
A Battle of the Brains

For the last 25 years a little known competition has been raging in the Grossmont Union High School District and around the county involving some of the brightest students in our schools. The competition is called Academic League and it is fought by teams from each of the 11 high schools in the district as fiercely and spirited as any contest on the athletic field!

Each school has faculty coaches who develop squads of students to compete at either the Junior Varsity level, 9th and 10th graders only, or the Varsity level, primarily 11th and 12th graders. The schools have dual matches with each other over an eleven week period beginning in November and lasting through February. The matches are usually on Wednesdays and begin at 3:00 pm. Most matches occur in the host school’s library, but some are held in classrooms. The competition begins with a 25 minute Junior Varsity match and is followed by a 35 minute Varsity match. At any one time, each team is made up of 5 members with 1 designated as a Captain. Substitutes occur at various strategic times during the match.

Specially designated faculty Moderators read Toss-up question to the teams sitting at tables and who have buzzers in which to get recognition so that they can answer the question for their team. If their answer is correct, then their team qualifies for a Bonus question with three parts. Each correct answer wins points for the teams and at the end of the time period the team with the most points wins the competition.

The questions that are read by the Moderators are ones developed by the Academic League Office and cover 5 basic academic disciplines: Science, Math, English-Language Arts, Social Science and Fine Arts. They are designed to cover the curriculum covered in the district and they are of such a caliber as to make Jeopardy contestants wince. Parents and community folks who regularly attend the matches walk away amazed at how much these youngsters know.

At the end of the season usually in May, the best Varsity Teams from around San Diego County compete at the County Office of Education in the Super Bowl of Academic League to determine which district has the best team that year. If you have an interest to attend any of the matches, schedules are available from the GUHSD Office. Call Catherine Martin, 644-8082, to obtain one. Go to a match and prepare to be entertained, amazed and excited.

Academic League Match Highlights

Academic League Match #1
Mount Miguel vs. Monte Vista
Match Highlights: November 14, 2007

The Moderator of the match was Michelle Tribble, Social Science teacher. This was her first match as a moderator after several years previously as Varsity Academic League Coach at Granite Hills. She did an outstanding job.

Host Coaches from Monte Vista: Sang Bai, JV and David Shrin, Varsity, had their Monarch Teams dressed in maroon colored sweater/vests that looked really sharp. JV team Captain Natanya Kerper kept her team in the match. Varsity Captain Jeremy Jakstis and math whiz Kristofer Vance led their teams in a winning cause (42 to 29).

This is Visiting Coach Cyndi Napoleon’s first year involved in Academic League. Her Matador JV team led by Captain Jacob Lechien and member Kassie Barker led their squad to a victory (48 to 17). On Varsity, Captain Le Brian (BJ) Mays was a standout.

Academic League Match #2
Grossmont vs. Santana
Match Highlights: November 19, 2007

Grossmont vs. Santana @ Santana (library)The Santana Sultans Junior Varsity team led by Captain Scott Hung and Thomas Bennett scored 76 points to barely edge out a tough Grossmont Foothiller JV team led by Captain Stina Schwebke with help from Louys Gackstetler with a score of 62 points.

At the Varsity level, the match was in question up until the last couple of minutes when Grossmont took a commanding lead with quick answers from Captain Jennifer Van Benthem, Bonnie Alexander and Marissa Henry. The Foothillers, coached by Mr. Tom Price, ended the match with 107 points. The crowd of over 35 parents and students were very impressed by the Sultan squad, coached by Mrs. Brooke Crocker, and led by Captain Sam Johnson, with assistance from Diana Stoianov and math whiz Rick Yacko, although it fell short of winning with a final score of 84 points.

Academic League Match #3
Steele Canyon vs. West Hills
Match Highlights: November 28, 2007

The Academic League match between the “Cougars” of Steele Canyon and the “Wolfpack” of West Hills was attended by a standing room only crowd of 50 plus people in the Library at West Hills. The moderator was Valhalla High School math teacher Brian Andersen who has been an outstanding, longtime Academic League moderator and previously a coach at Helix High School.

In Junior Varsity competition, the match went right down to the very last question. Steele Canyon, under Captain Ryan Richardson with help from notable Nick Hollander and Brianna Coston scored 70 points to win. JV Coach Jan Hedline’s West Hills team led by Captain Jennifer Ault with ample assistance from Jessica Wright scored 65 points when time ran out.

At the Varsity Level, West Hills Coach Cheri Gabler substituted all new players at the 10 minute mark with the exception of Captain Tim Ault. With earlier assistance from Taylor Osborn and Doug Rahiser, they got off to a commanding lead ending the match with 119 points. Steele Canyon, coached at both levels by Betty Jensen, scored a respectable 64 points with Captain Tim Buckmaster, Ayn Woodward and Chet Galloway.