James Clemens’ Zhange places first nationally in math

MADISON – Math students at James Clemens High School recently claimed a Top Ten finish in a national contest.

James Clemens earned sixth place in the 2018 Fall Startup Event, a national mathematics contest that National Assessment & Testing administers. National Assessment is based in Seattle, Wash.

“Coach Chase Evans at James Clemens prepared students for the first major competition of the academic year, in which students worked furiously for 30 minutes, racing to answer 100 problems in a variety of mathematical topics,” Tom Clymer said. Clymer works as Director of Academic Competitions for National Assessment & Testing.

After National Assessment officials processed results from students across the United States, several James Clemens students received individual awards on the Fall Startup Event.

Lawrence Zhange placed first in the 11th-grade division. Ninth-graders Yewon Lee, Santosh Sadasivam and Sohan Mynampally placed third, fifth and 25th, respectively.

“In addition, several James Clemens students were recognized locally, because the greater Huntsville area is a bit of a hot spot for math competitors,” Clymer said. Yewon Lee and Santosh Sadasivam placed first and second among freshmen. Lawrence Zhang and Kevin Zheng claimed the same places in the 11th-grade division.

The Fall Startup Event is an individual competition, in which each student tries to solve as many fast and easy problems as possible within the time limit. Topics range from arithmetic to calculus, including topics that the standard high school curriculum does not cover.

“It’s a lot like a musician practicing scales … these common operations and problems can become second-nature and nearly instantaneous,” Clymer said. “With so many questions and so little time, competitors must not only have strong mathematical skills but also be able to quickly decide which problems to solve and which ones to skip.”

James Clemens will participate in all four of National Assessment & Testing’s contests this year. The Jet students completed the 2018 Team Scramble on Nov. 18. Then, they will tackle the 2018 Ciphering Time Trials on Dec. 13, followed by the 2019 Four-by-Four Competition on Jan. 31, 2019.

National Assessment & Testing defines and coordinates math competitions that middle and high schools can participate in by e-mail. Their contests cover various formats and difficulties.

For more information about the testing procedures, visit natassessment.com.