During a regional mathematics competition, a team of students from MMI Preparatory School placed fourth in the team competition out of 14 teams in the region. Two MMI students placed second and tenth, respectively, in the individual competition, and one of those students will go on to states.
The MATHCOUNTS competition, sponsored by the Keystone Northeast Chapter of Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers, was held at Wyoming Valley West Middle School in Kingston.
MMI’s team of Daniel DeMelfi, Wesley Guarneri, Frederick Mejia, and Zachary Youngplaced fourth. In the individual competition, Young had the second highest score. He will advance to the state competition in Harrisburg on March 27 and 28. Also, Mejia had the 10th highest individual score.
The advisor for the MMI team is Sue Moyer. “Placing so well in the MATHCOUNTS competition is a great accomplishment for our students since they work so hard. I am so excited to see Zachary advance to the state level, and I can’t wait to see how far he goes from there,” said Moyer
MATHCOUNTS is a national middle school coaching and competitive mathematics program that promotes mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging “bee” style contests. The program exists in all 50 states plus U.S. territories and the Department of Defense and State Department schools.
The competition consists of up to four different rounds, beginning with the Sprint Round (40 minutes), which consists of 30 problems. This round tests accuracy, with the timing being set so that only the most capable students will complete all of the problems. Calculators are not permitted. Next, the Target Round (approximately 30 minutes) consists of eight problems presented to competitors in four pairs (6 minutes per pair). This round features multi-step problems that engage student “Mathletes” in mathematical reasoning and problem-solving processes. Problems assume the use of calculators. The Team Round (20 minutes) consists of 10 problems that team members work together to solve. Team member interaction is permitted and encouraged. Problems assume the use of calculators. The Countdown Round is a fast-paced, oral competition for top-scoring individuals (based on scores in the Sprint and Target Rounds). In this round, pairs of Mathletes compete against each other and the clock to solve problems. Calculators are not permitted.
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