Bob Jones ranks first for Alabama in national math contest

Kimberly Cox serves as math team coach at Bob Jones High School. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Bob Jones High School students placed sixth in the nation in the 2015 Four-by-Four Math Competition.

“We were the highest scoring school in Alabama,” math team coach Kimberly Cox said. Cox teaches pre-advanced placement pre-calculus and pre-AP algebra/trigonometry.

After results from schools across the country were double-checked, the team of Claudia Chu, Amelia Goldston, Joey Li and Anthony Zhu placed fifth in the middle division, helping their school to place sixth overall among the top schools in the country.

“This is the first time in Bob Jones’ history to have a team make the top 5 in this competition,” Cox said.

James Clemens High School ranked in 18th place. The first-place school was Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, N.J. Hoover High School placed 15th.

“Madison’s Bob Jones High School has some of the best high school mathematicians in the country, as demonstrated by their sixth-place finish in the Four-by-Four,” Tom Clymer said. Clymer is director of academic competitions for National Assessment & Testing, the company that administers the testing.

“Coach Kimberly Cox prepared students for this contest, in which teams of four participated in 10 three-minute rounds. In each round, they attempted to answer four questions,” Clymer said. “This effectively gives each student three minutes to answer one problem, but the team must also decide who will work each problem.”

Based in Seattle, Wash., National Assessment & Testing administers high-quality mathematics competitions that schools can participate in through the mail. Each contest features problems ranging from easy to difficult, providing both confidence and challenges to students of all abilities.

For more information, visit natassessment.com.