HU hosts annual high school mathematics competition

Marion High School of Marion, Indiana, took home first place at Huntington University’s annual High School Mathematics Team Competition. This is the 17th year HU has sponsored the fall high school event. A middle school math competition also is sponsored in the spring.

Thirteen area high schools competed for individual and team awards while demonstrating their mathematical abilities. The goal of the competition is to support and encourage the efforts of students seeking to achieve in mathematics. For the team competition, Zionsville High School from Zionsville, Indiana, took second place and St. Joseph High School from South Bend, Indiana, placed third.

For the individual competition, Truman Bennet, a senior from Marion High School captured first place. Elizabeth Wuertley, a junior from Marion High School, earned second place. Grant Thompson, a sophomore from Zionsville High School was awarded third place.

“We are pleased to see a large number of students excited about mathematics. We hope that this experience encourages students to consider a career related to mathematics,” stated Dr. Jeff Lehman, HU’s mathematics & computer science department chair.

The mathematics competition takes place in three rounds of challenging problems: a multiple choice written exam, a lightning round consisting of a series of individually timed questions, and a final, more difficult team round.

Schools competing included: Ayersville High School (Ohio), East Noble High School, Garrett High School, Howe Military Academy, Liberty Christian School, Marion High School, Minster Jr./Sr. High School (Ohio), North Judson-San Pierre Jr.-Sr. High School, Saint Joseph High School, South Bend Clay High School, Warsaw Community High School, West Noble High School, and Zionsville High School.

Hosanna Burr, a Huntington University Senior Mathematics Education major from Columbia, Missouri, served as the student coordinator with help from additional HU students majoring in mathematics and computer science. The competition was overseen Lehman and Dr. Brian Rice both faculty in the mathematics and computer science departments at Huntington University.