Four Hinsdale Middle School 7th graders are headed to MATHCOUNTS state competition after finishing in the top five at the Salt Creek Regional Feb. 17.
The team of Kevin Zhang, Alex Jiang, Saint Luan, and Sam Chung will have an opportunity to qualify for national competition when they compete in the state championships on March 3. They amassed enough points at regionals in Naperville to beat out Butler Junior High, Parker Junior High of Flossmoor and Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove for the final qualifying spot.
Kevin Zhang and Alex Jiang both also placed among the top 20 students in the regional contest.
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The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series is a national program that provides students the opportunity to compete in live, in-person contests against and alongside their peers. Created in 1983, it is open to 6th through 8th grade students.
The three-hour competition is comprised of 4 rounds:
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--Sprint Round: focuses on speed and accuracy. Students have 40 minutes to complete 30 math problems without a calculator.
--Target Round: focuses on problem-solving and mathematical reasoning. Students receive 4 pairs of problems and have 6 minutes to complete each pair, assuming the use of a calculator.
--Team Round: focuses on problem-solving and collaboration. Students have 20 minutes to complete 10 math problems, assuming the use of a calculator. Only the 4 students on a school's team can take this round officially.
--Countdown Round: focuses on speed and accuracy. Students have a maximum of 45 seconds per problem without a calculator. This round is optional at the school, chapter and state level.
Seventh graders Jeffrey Liu, Meghna Mitra, and Varun Kanangat as well as 6th graders Adele Groom, Ethem Gulcu, and Modav Hota also competed for Hinsdale Middle School at regionals.
Linda Seikel and John Robinson coach the team.
