Utah State Math Contest

First, on the first Tuesday of our Spring Break, over 30 Waterford Class VII-XII students participated in the Utah State Math Contest sponsored this year by the University of Utah. Students worked for 45 minutes on their exams, and then enjoyed a pizza party. While we do not yet have the results for that exam, we are confident our students did well.

USA Junior Math Olympiad

Next, Kiran R. (class IX) and Liam R. (class VII) both qualified for the highest exam in the Mathematical Association of America’s competition series, the USA Junior Math Olympiad. The qualification process for this exam is rigorous and no other students from Utah qualified. This exam is a two-day nine-hour exam with six proof-based questions. Kiran and Liam took this exam on Tuesday and Wednesday and we are anxiously awaiting the results.

MATHCOUNTS State Competition

Finally, this past weekend Waterford’s Middle School Math Team coached by Kiran R. (class IX) and advised by Hiram Golze, math teacher, had unprecedented success at the Utah State MATHCOUNTS competition held at Salt Lake Community College. First, seven Waterford Middle Students qualified to attend based on the results from the chapter competition: Hailey P. (VI), Catriona K. (VII), Zoe L. (VII), Aadi M., (VII), Liam R. (VII), Fiona J. (VIII), and Jerry X. (VIII).

Also, we had five students score in the top ten positions after the written rounds of competition: Liam R. (1st), Aadi M. (5th), Jerry X. (7th), Fiona J. (8th), and Hailey P. (10th). Next, Liam R. finished the competition by taking first place in the Countdown Round, the lightning-fast, head-to-head competition. Finally, the Waterford team’s combined efforts earned them the top finish in the state, which means that Kiran R. will coach the team representing Utah—including his brother Liam—at the National MATHCOUNTS competition in Washington, D.C. later this spring. It was a great day, and the students were even joined by Waterford alumni and former mathletes Tarun Martheswaran ’21, Shilp Shah ’22, and Tanisha Martheswaran ’18 who came to cheer on this young generation of mathletes.