CUPID TOUCHES YOUNG, OLD; TEENS FIND ANSWER TO ROMANCE ON ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

For months, Nick Lange and Shaun Berry tried to keep their budding romance a secret from their coaches on the top-ranked Academic Decathlon teams at Moorpark High School.

They were treading on unchartered territory since no team in recent memory had ever had a couple start dating. They'd agreed not to tell coach Larry Jones, not really knowing how he'd react.

But they soon found out that they weren't fooling anyone.

``I was talking to Mr. Jones about Nick one afternoon, and we were saying what a great guy he was,'' Shaun said. ``Jones turned to me and said, `Yeah and he has great taste, too.' And he winked at me. I knew then that he already knew about us.''

The 17-year-olds said they have been dating officially since October. They were brought together by a shared interest in the Academic Decathlon team, and they fell for each other over long study sessions after school and group dates with other team members.

The two said they both had crushes on each other almost from the beginning, when they met at a team orientation meeting in May 1998.

``It wasn't love at first sight,'' says Shaun, smiling up at her boyfriend. ``But it was love at first handshake, that's for sure.''

Shaun, a junior then, was new to the school and was recruited for the school's B team by the Academic Decathlon coaches, who saw potential in her school transcripts.

Nick, who also is now a senior, was set to be the team captain of the championship A team, which recently won a spot in the statewide competition.

It wasn't until they and a few friends on the Academic Decathlon team took a trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art that things really clicked.

``I strategically ended up in Nick's car,'' Shaun said. ``We exchanged glances across the room. It's such a cliche, puppy-love story.''

``It was all very casual,'' Nick said, gently nudging Shaun's shoe with his. ``I still haven't gotten down on my knee and asked her to go out with me. It was more like, Are we a thing?''

The Academic Decathlon competitions are famous for the long hours teams spend studying and memorizing facts for the 10 rigorous tests they encounter. Many times students say their teammates are often their only shot at a social life.

As for the future, the two said they were going to take it as it comes as they both prepare to go on to college.

Nick will attend California Institute of the Arts or DePaul University in Chicago. And Shaun will go either to New York University or Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y.

``We won't even be in the same area,'' Nick said. ``But I think that'll be healthy.''

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PHOTO (Color) Nick Lang, left, and Shaun Berry were brought together by a shared interest in the Moorpark team.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News