Fifteen San Joaquin County high schools and 290 scholars competed in three divisions at the county contest. Gilroy’s Early College Academy from Santa Clara County joined as a guest team.

Defending champion Lodi High School won the $5,500 grand prize from the Cortopassi Family Foundation for the second year in a row. Teams up to fifth place win money in descending amounts to $2,500.

In past years, Tracy High used its winnings to refurbish the campus marquee.

Delta Charter High School took third place, and Millennium High School placed fourth in the small-school division.

West High School was left out of the competition this year, because it didn’t have a team coach. It’ll join the competition next year, Tracy Unified School District Superintendent James Franco said.

Other local high schools that participated were Millennium and Delta Charter.

“This was the second time in a couple years that Tracy teams came away without a win,” said Meredith Davis of the San Joaquin County Department of Education, who coordinated the annual event. “But the competition overall was great.”

The theme this year was the American Civil War. Competitors tested their brain power in 10 categories: art, economics, essay, interview, science, language, literature, math, music and speech.

The top-scoring student hailed from Escalon High and won the $1,000 Walter Ratthaus Award.