Students score first place in math meet

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Stratton
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Students from Memorial Junior High School here and Glenburn High School in Glenburn participated in the 33rd Annual Math Track Meet April 23 at the Minot State University Dome.

These seventh and eighth-graders joined more than 700 students and 208 teams from 50 schools around the region, including students from as far as Sydney, Mont. and Fargo, N.D.

The testing included four individually graded tests and a team test to wrap it up. The four individual tests were on: number theory operations; fractions, decimals and percentages; informal geometry and problem-solving; and probability and statistics. The team portion was a six-question test with problem-solving questions from each individual test.

Students were given 10 minutes to complete each test. Correct answers to the individual portion were given two points and to the team portion 10 points. Total points earned from individual and team efforts decided the winners.

"Their teachers help them practice and do some review," said Laurie Geller, from the MSU mathematics and computer science department.

"We used tests and materials from past math track meets to prepare the students," said Consuelo Devine, advanced math student teacher at GHS. "We think of out-of-the-box questions for the students, because that is what they use here at the competition."

"It was pretty hard and complicated," said Sam Zelinski, an eighth-grader at GHS and son of Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Zelinski, 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron.

"The tests were easier than what we practiced on," said Jackson Kirkland, seventh-grader at MJHS and son of Col. Donald Kirkland, 5th Maintenance Group commander. "The geometry section was the hardest, because it had tricks in it."

In the end, MJHS tied for first place. Connor Bowley, an eighth-grader at MJHS and son of Tech. Sgt. Matthew Bowley, a missile alert facility manager for the 742nd Missile Squadron, earned an honorable mention.

"It was fun, challenging and provided for a rounded education," Bowley said.