Laguna Hills High School took fifth place last weekend in its first appearance at the California Academic Decathlon, an intellectual competition won for the second consecutive year by Taft High School of Los Angeles.
Jeremy Roethler, a Laguna Hills senior, was the overall individual winner in the scholastic category, one of three categories in which students compete.
In all, 405 students on 45 teams from schools around the state participated in the 10th statewide contest in Bakersfield.
Taft advances to the Academic Decathlon finals April 28 through May 1 at Providence, R.I.
Beverly Hills High School took second place, while third went to Roosevelt High of Fresno and fourth to Palo Alto High.
Other members of the Laguna Hills squad, which is coached by English teachers Kathy Lane and Roger Gunderson, are Michael Craska, Jack Dietz, Julian Kingston, Michael Landis, Jeff McCombs, Tyler Suchman, Michael Symons and Don Varner.