Discovery Math Team earns ‘box’ of trophies

These members of Discovery Middle School’s Math Team competed at Rocket City Junior Math Mania at Grissom High School. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Julie Goldston knew her students had a good day of competing when she had to ask for a cardboard box.

“The host school had to give me a box so I could carry all of our trophies to my car,” Goldston said. Discovery Middle School’s Math Team won numerous trophies and medals at Rocket City Junior Math Mania, hosted by Grissom High School.

“I am so proud of our kids,” Goldston said.

This competition “requires the kids to compete in groups of four and work tests together,” she said. The contest “forces them to not only solve difficult math problems, but they also have to work together well.”

Officials solely used groups’ test results to assign team awards.

Discovery’s seventh-graders Will Bao, Nolan Drummond, Joshua Lin and Isaac Wang earned a third-place team trophy.

Eighth-graders won three team trophies: Joy Duan, Victoria Lee, Juanita Monteiro-Pai and Helen Wu, second; Nathan Dinh, Lorelei Hamilton, Evan Krohn and Sherry Lee, fourth; Deyana Belay, Emgra Busambwa, Joy Onawola and David Teng, fifth.

At Math Mania, 100 seventh-graders competed; the top 15 earned trophies or medals. “Discovery students earned nine of those 15 top spots,” Goldston said.

Isaac Wang claimed the first-place trophy. John Yoo was close behind in second place.

Other place winners were Christian Reynolds, eighth; Jackson Eames, tenth; Joshua Lin, 11th; James Yoo, 12th; Adonye Belay, 13th; Susan Xiao, 14th; and Will Bao, 15th.

Discovery students Missing medals by a narrow margin were Alex Edwards, 16th; Noah Hutnik, 17th, Sujay Jakka, 18th; and Henry Nguyen, 19th.

“That means 13 of the top 19 were Discovery seventh-graders. Woo-hoo,” Goldston said.

Among eighth-graders, David Teng earned first place. Other individual standouts were Helen Wu, fourth; Thomas Teper, seventh; Joy Duan, 11th; Evan Krohn, 12th; Juanita Monteiro-Pai, 13th; Victoria Lee, 14th; and Skylar Elliott, 15th.

In close contention for medals were Sherry Lee, 16th; Deyana Belay, 18th; Joy Onawola, 19th; and Erin Kueck, 20th.

“Twelve of the top 20 eighth-graders were Discovery students. All of our 16 eighth-graders scored in the top 34 out of 67 eighth-grade competitors,” Goldston said.