GRANADA HILLS HIGH WINS STATE ACADEMIC DECATHLON: El Camino is 2nd, South Pasadena 3rd, Marshall 4th, Franklin 5th, Garfield 7th

Thomas Himes | LA Daily News | http://bayareane.ws/1xr3wYs

3/22/2015 05:11:41 PM PDT | SACRAMENTO >>In its quest for a fourth national title, Granada Hills Charter High School defeated neighboring rival El Camino Real Charter High School on Sunday to claim victory at the 36th annual California Academic Decathlon.

The Granada Hills team will represent California when it competes against teams from 49 other states next month, April 17-19 in Garden Grove.

“They wanted it and they risked a lot to get it,” Granada Hills Coach Mathew Arnold said. “But this is the ultimate validation to all the work we put in.”

El Camino Real Charter High finished in second place, while South Pasadena took third place and Alhambra’s Mark Keppel High finished ninth. The only school to place from San Bernardino to place was Chaffey High School, which ranked 10th in scoring

Three more teams from Los Angeles Unified finished in the top 10 including: Marshall High School finished fourth.

Franklin High School took fifth and East Los Angeles’ Garfield High School take seventh place