The 29th annual regional MATHCOUNTS competition challenged more than 150 students from 17 schools throughout Southern Maryland to test their math skills at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
A competitive technological world requires a proficiency in mathematics as a foundation for success in science, technology, and engineering. MATHCOUNTS aims to boost student interest in mathematics by making the subject challenging and entertaining. Each year, more than 500 regional competitions are held in middle schools across the country, with winners advancing to state competitions and then to the national competition.
According to its website, MATHCOUNTS alumni are more likely to continue with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), with three out of every four alumni studying a STEM field in college—nearly three times the national average. And MATHCOUNTS builds the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for success: 95% of teachers believe that MATHCOUNTS problems are effective at improving their students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
The local MATHCOUNTS competition features rounds of mathematics problems to challenge students one-on-one and as teams over the course of the three-hour event. First is the sprint round, a 30-question test that students complete individually. The competitors go next to the target round, where they have four sets of math problems and six minutes to complete each set of two questions.
In the individual competition, which is based on combined scores in the sprint and target rounds, Alexander Luc from Chesapeake Public Charter School in St. Mary’s County finished first and Mason Hall from Leonardtown Middle School in St. Mary’s County finished second.
The top 12 scorers finish the competition by facing each other in the countdown round, a single-elimination bracket-based tournament in which students must respond verbally to questions in a matter of seconds. Asher Popernack from The Calverton School placed first and Everett Thompson from Leonardtown Middle School placed second.
In the team round, foursomes of students answer 10 questions in 20 minutes. Leonardtown Middle School won first place; team members included Isadora Chorney, Morgan Goul, Mason Hall, and Everett Thompson, coached by Kathryn Smith. Windy Hill Middle School placed second; team members included Ayodeji Adeshiyan, Madelyn Burkholder, Nick Harrington, and Donovan Stone, coached by Carrie Pendleton. Northern Middle School won third place; team members included Ali Ahmed, Andrew Bisang, Logan Oberg, and Alex Schultz, coached by Kathy Dempster. The team from Chesapeake Public Charter School in St. Mary’s County took fourth place and Spring Ridge Middle School in St. Mary’s County took fifth place.
Sponsors for the local MATHCOUNTS competition are SMECO and the Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s county public schools. Volunteers from SMECO helped score the tests. Winners of the Southern Maryland chapter competition will go on to compete in the statewide contest at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The top four individual competitors from each state competition receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the national competition in Orlando, FL, in May.
First place team: Leonardtown Middle School, St. Mary’s County. Front row, from left, Mason Hall, Everett Thompson, Isadora Chorney, Morgan Goul, and coach Kathryn Smith.
Second place team: Windy Hill Middle School, Calvert County. From left, Nick Harrington, Donovan Stone, and coach Carrie Pendleton. Not pictured: Ayodeji Adeshiyan and Madelyn Burkholder.
Third place team: Northern Middle School, Calvert County. From left, coach Kathy Dempster, Ali Ahmed, Alex Schultz, Logan Oberg, Andrew Bisang.
Fourth place team: Chesapeake Public Charter School, St. Mary’s County. From left, coach Taren Long, Jaslyn Zellner, Alexander Luc, Colin Taylor, and William Heisler.
Fifth place team: Spring Ridge Middle School, St. Mary’s County. From left, Andrew Stone, coach Michele Atwell, Diana Wyman, Isabella Derisavi, and Jeffrey Allen
Countdown finalists: Everett Thompson from Leonardtown Middle School in St. Mary’s County and Asher Popernack from The Calverton School in Calvert County faced off in the final matchup in the countdown round. Popernack placed first and Thompson placed second.
First place, individual competition: Alexander Luc from Chesapeake Public Charter School in Calvert County won first place in the individual competition.
