Granada Hills Charter Secures California State Academic Decathlon Title, Eyes National Championship

Granada Hills Charter (GHC) has captured the California Academic Decathlon championship. The team scored 53,811.8 points to secure the state title. The theme for the 2025-26 competition is “The Roaring Twenties.” The win in Santa Clara, CA, strikes a new chord reverberating throughout the School.

GHC’s nine-member team includes Saadan Atif, Tale Chen, Serena Chon, Benjamin Cruz, Emmanuel Dominguez, Santiago Garcia-Uriarte, Cristopher Gonzalez, Francesca Molina, and Mia Salinas. Head Coach Tyler Lee and Assistant Coaches Bennett Cohen and Raji Toleco lead the young scholars.

“This year’s team includes mostly new students, led by two returners. So, to come together in support of each other so quickly and learn how to function as a team and to study effectively together was really the challenge we accepted,” said Tyler Lee. “I’m extremely proud of them and proud of how they all have grown and handled the rigors of this competition.”

The team took 1st place overall and 1st place in the Super Quiz. GHC students won the most individual medals (47) of any other team, and the following students placed as top individuals:

• Serena Chon (Grade 10) - 2nd Place, Honors Division
• Saadan Atif (Grade 12) - 1st Place, Scholastic Division
• Santiago Garcia-Uriarte (Grade 12) - 2nd Place, Scholastic Division
• Cristopher Gonzalez (Grade 12) - 1st Place, Varsity Division
• Emmanuel Dominguez (Grade 11) - 3rd Place, Varsity Division

This year is especially meaningful as the team wears commemorative pins in honor of GHC’s Administrative Director of Instruction, Nick Weber, whose passing earlier this year is deeply felt. Mr. Weber played a pivotal role in elevating the program to national prominence. Under his leadership—and alongside coaches he mentored and supported—the team secured nine national titles between 2011 and 2022.

Mr. Weber joined Granada Hills High School in 1999 as an English teacher and quickly became a transformative force. “Nick was inspirational. He helped mentor and guide me as a coach. He did that for so many of us,” Lee said, adding that the weekend was full of stories about his lasting impact from other school coaches throughout the state.

More important than the titles was how he showed up for students—especially those on the C and Varsity teams. “Nick believed deeply in growth. He saw potential where others might not, and he made it his mission to help students believe in themselves,” said Julia Howelman, as she opened the state awards ceremony by presenting the Nick Weber Academic Decathlon Scholarship to Pierce Abanez (Science Academy STEM Magnet), a student whose growth, determination, and resilience embody the very spirit Mr. Weber championed.

“Everyone at GHC is cheering loudly for our team,” said Brian Bauer, GHC’s CEO/Superintendent, “and even more so for students everywhere who show tremendous determination and progress.”

Sometimes it is only family and friends who see how much time and effort go into preparing and competing. “I want our team to know that the faculty and staff here all understand they have put in hours and hours of hard work and study to reach this point. And for us, it’s a beautiful tribute to the passionate life and legacy of a dear colleague and friend. We couldn’t be happier that the team’s hard work is paying off, and we are looking forward to continuing the work at Nationals in April and beyond.”

The Academic Decathlon involves 10 events revolving around a central topic in seven subject areas: science, literature, art, music, social science, economics, and mathematics. Specific topics this year included Art/Music/Literature of the Jazz Age, Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism, and the U.S. Economy in 1920. The competition includes multiple-choice exams in each subject, as well as essays and speeches. It culminates with a fast-paced Super Quiz relay. As part of the competition, each school enters a field of students from the following GPA categories: “A” students (honors), “B” students (scholastic), and “C or below” (varsity).

The U.S. National Academic Decathlon will take place in Garden Grove, CA, April 23-25, 2026.