Mathematics Professor Dr. Raymond Lee, coordinator of the contest, said 150 students took tests in algebra I, geometry and algebra II. The top three finishers are eligible to move on to state competition.
Two of the top three individual winners were home school students from Fayetteville. Katie Rettig won in algebra I, and Mehak Aziz won in geometry. Koichi, Matsuda, of Providence Day School in Charlotte, won the algebra II competition.
A team of home school students from Fayetteville also won the team competition in algebra I. Teams from Providence Day won in geometry and algebra II.
Dr. Lee said the UNCP Math Department works hard to create “an appropriate level of difficulty” for the tests.
“These are good tests with questions that our faculty feel are appropriate and in-line with the state curriculum,” Dr. Lee. “Every year, we review the test results and throw out questions that are either too easy or too hard.”
As the competitors found out, time is an enemy in this kind of contest.
“There are 40 questions and 45 minutes,” Dr. Lee said. “Either you know the material, or you don’t.”
Individual results included a third place award in Geometry presented to Katie Jordan of the O’Neal School; a second place award to Rachel Baker of Pinecrest High School in Algebra II
In team competition in Geometry Providence Day School took first place followed in second place by Pinecrest High School (Cindy Boulton, Carolyn Mullen and Alex Sunnarborg) and in third place by Union Pines High School (Troy Hadlock, Katy Sims, Sydney Smith and Scott Schwartz).
Union Pines team of David Dunlap, Elizabeth Caine, Brandon Allen and Katie Moore also finished second in the Algebra II competition.
