Team members: Neil Feldman, Melinda Van Steenwyk, Bernie Barmann, Jess Wilson, Neal Stanifer, Susie Berntson, David Zulfa, Byron Olson, Mike Friesenhahn
Coaches: Charles Rosengard (Head Coach), Jim Scruggs, Bob Petker, Bob Gordon, Tony Drath, Don Vettel, Anne Cierley, Shirlee Leonard
In 1983, for the fourth year in a row, West High School’s academic decathlon team won the Kern County Academic Decathlon title, went on to the state tournament and took third place in the state out of a field of schools from 30 counties around California.
While West High went on to win the first ten Kern County Academic Decathlon championships in a row, beginning in 1980 through 1989, those back-to-back third place finishes at the State championship in 1982 and 1983 were West High’s best results at State.
The 1983 team consisted of two returning members (Neil and Melinda), four other seniors (Bernie, Jess, Neal and Susie), and three juniors (David, Byron and Mike).
The team’s motto was, “This one’s for Johnny!” a reference to Johnny Carson, who had invited previous state Academic Decathlon championship teams to appear on his show. The 1983 West High team hoped to better the results of their predecessors by taking first at the state tournament and securing an invitation from Johnny Carson, who frequently made jokes about Bakersfield.
Under the leadership of the two returning seniors, Neil and Melinda, and through hundreds of hours of preparation with their coaches, the 1983 team earned enough points across the ten events to secure third place in the state once again. Only Beverly Hill High School and Gunn Senior High of Palo Alto scored more team points than West High.
Team members also took home ten individual medals. Melinda won gold medals in fine arts and social sciences and silver medals in English and mathematics. Neal Stanifer earned a gold medal in science and silver medals in English and social sciences. Neil Feldman won a gold medal in mathematics and a silver in social sciences, and Bernie won a bronze in economics.
