Granada Hills Charter (GHC) has won the United States Academic Decathlon. The team scored 52,148.9 points to secure the national title. The theme for the 2025-26 competition was “The Roaring Twenties.” The win marks the school’s 10th in 15 years. GHC’s nine-member team is led by second-year returners Tale Chen and Christopher Gonzalez. It includes first-year members Saadan Atif, Serena Chon, Benjamin Cruz, Emmanuel Dominguez, Santiago Garcia-Uriarte, Francesca Molina, and Mia Salinas. Head Coach Tyler Lee and Assistant Coaches Bennett Cohen and Raji Toleco lead the young scholars. “This program helped me learn how to lead a team of people I hadn’t met before. We had to dig deeper than just the academics. We had a team to build, and it turned out to be a thrilling year; I knew we could do it,” said Tale Chen. The team placed first overall, with 42 individual medals and accomplishments spanning across divisions throughout the competition: Christopher Gonzalez, First Place, Varsity, Emmanuel Dominguez, Second Place, Varsity, Santiago Carcia-Uriarte, Second Place, Scholastic, Serena Chon, Second Place, Honors. “Our students showed tremendous determination and progress all year long. We are extremely proud of them, and our coaches,” said Brian Bauer, GHC’s CEO/Superintendent. Head Coach Tyler Lee said, “Every student brought something unique to the team this year: leadership, outside-of-the-box thinking as a newcomer, but everyone was encouraging and focused. And we leaned into that interdependence and trust in one another.” This year, the team wears commemorative pins honoring the late Nick Weber, GHC’s Administrative Director of Instruction, who was pivotal in elevating the program to national prominence. nine national titles between 2011 and 2022 alongside coaches he mentored. “Nick saw potential where others might not. He made it his mission to help students believe in themselves, and that’s the legacy we honor and carry with us today,” said Julia Howelman, Administrative Director, High School.
