Improving their score over last year's competition, Edgewood Middle School is sending one of its two teams to MATHCOUNTS state finals March 14 at Purdue University, West Lafayette.
This is the second consecutive year Edgewood is sending a team to state competition.
MATHCOUNTS is a national math enrichment, coaching and competition program designed to improve math skills among U.S. students.Two EMS teams competed in the Anthony Wayne Chapter Competition Feb. 14 at the Walb Union Ballroom, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne.
With a score of 48.75, the EMS Team 1 placed second, according to Math Club sponsor and EMS math teacher Lorinda Kline. First place went to Summit Middle School with 49 points.
"Last year we took third and the top three got to go to state," Kline said. "This year we got second, and this year only two get to go to state."
She said she was definitely proud of all the students. "We took 10 students and they all did well," she said.
Other schools participating in the chapter competition included Adams Central Community School, Canterbury School, Emmanuel-Saint Michael School, Northfield Junior-Senior High School, Shawnee Middle School, Woodburn Lutheran School and Woodside Middle School.
Edgewood's second team would have beaten some other schools' first teams, Kline said.
In MATHCOUNTS competition, Kline said, all the students take a 30-problem test without use of a calculator. They have 40 minutes to complete it.
The next test has eight more difficult problems, but students can use a calculator. It's weighted twice as much as the 30-problem test.
Students' scores from both rounds are added together for individual scores.
Edgewood's Alek Jansen racked up the highest individual score with 38 out of a possible 46 points. He also will compete at state in individual competition. The top six individuals and the Countdown Round winner proceed to state competition. Jansen had tied for first place in individual competition at the chapter contest, but placed second with the third tie-breaker.
"I thought (competition) was about the same (as last year), but I studied a lot more this year," Jansen said. "It was still nerve-wracking because I wasn't sure if I was going to qualify or not."
Of the tie-breaker, Jansen said, "I think it's kind of lame, but they've got to decide somehow, I guess."
Along with Jansen, other members of the Edgewood team and their scores moving on to state competition include Connor Singrey, 28; Kiara Stewart, 25; and James Wynn, 24.
Second team members and their individual scores are Louis Bolduc, 26; Bryce Carter, 25; Patrick Kelly, 23; and Hannah Kline, 26.
"It was pretty good," Kelly said of the competition. "It was pretty challenging during the target round because you didn't know what problems you were going to get."
For team scores, the scores for all four students on a team are added together and then divided by four for an average individual score. Edgewood's Team 1's total was 115, giving the team an average individual score of 28.75.
However, the teams then have 10 problems to work together on, and that score is then added to the team's individual score average. EMS Team 1 solved all 10 problems, giving them a score of 48.75. Team 2 solved nine of the 10 problems, giving them a final score of 43 points.
For state competition, Jansen said his goal is that he wants "to try to get within the top 10, so I'm studying a lot."
He takes math tests online to help him prepare, he said.
In an e-mail he sent, Jansen said Kline does a lot for the math club and him in particular. He wrote, "I would never have gotten as good in math if it wasn't for Mrs. Kline. She spends many evenings working with me. She is the one who inspired me to go to college for a degree in applied mathematics."
