18 Schools Compete in MATHCOUNTS

The first-place team from Spring Ridge Middle School from left are Aditi Chauhan, Ryan Ritchie, Alex Vo, Oscar Neto, and coach Michele Atwell.

The region’s annual MATHCOUNTS competition marked its 32nd anniversary on February 7. More than 200 students from 18 schools gathered at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick to test their math skills. Sponsors for the local competition are Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative and the Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s public schools systems.

A competitive technological world requires a proficiency in mathematics as a foundation for success in science, technology, and engineering. MATHCOUNTS aims to boost student interest in mathematics by making the subject challenging and entertaining. Each year, more than 500 regional competitions are held in middle schools across the country, with winners advancing to state competitions and then to the national competition.

According to its website, MATHCOUNTS alumni are more likely to continue with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with three of every four alumni studying a STEM field in college—nearly three times the national average. And MATHCOUNTS builds the critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for success: 95% of teachers believe that MATHCOUNTS problems are effective at improving their students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

The local MATHCOUNTS competition features rounds of mathematics problems to challenge students one-on-one and as teams over the course of the three-hour event. First is the sprint round, a 30-question test that students complete individually. The competitors go next to the target round, where they have four sets of math problems and six minutes to complete each set of two questions.

Hunter Bennett of Mill Creek Middle School secured first place, and Delcan Peel of Milton M. Somers Middle School took second place, respectively, in the individual competition, which was determined by combined scores from the sprint and target rounds.

The top 12 scorers finish the competition by facing each other in the countdown round, a single-elimination bracket-based tournament in which students must respond verbally to questions in a matter of seconds.

• Carson Litten of Margaret Brent Middle School placed first, while Andrew Lacey from Northern Middle School placed second.

In the team round, foursomes of students answer 10 questions in 20 minutes.

• Spring Ridge Middle School in St. Mary’s County won first place; team members included Aditi Chauhan, Oscar Neto, Ryan Ritchie, and Alex Vo, coached by Michele Atwell.
• Esperanza Middle School, also in St. Mary’s, placed second; team members included Jaxson Cooper, Manuel D’Antonio, Micah Hayes, and Harshal Shah, coached by Mary Skulski and co-coached by Josie Cazares.
• Northern Middle School in Calvert County won third place; team members were Kate Densing, Andrew Lacey, Miller Lee, and Rayna Xue, coached by Kathy Dempster.
• The team from Leonardtown Middle School in St. Mary’s County took fourth place, and Milton M. Somers Middle took fifth place.

Volunteers from SMECO helped score the tests.

Winners of the Southern Maryland chapter competition will go on to compete in the statewide contest in Owings Mills. The top four individual competitors from each state competition receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the national competition in Orlando, FL, in May.

SMECO – The Cooperative Difference

SMECO was incorporated in 1937 and is one of the 15 largest electric cooperatives in the United States with more than 170,000 member accounts in Charles County, St. Mary’s County, southern Prince George’s County, and most of Calvert County.

Electric cooperatives are shaped by the communities they serve, because co-ops are owned by their customers. Co-op members elect the men and women who serve on the Board of Directors. Members share the responsibility of ownership by financing the cooperative’s operations, but they also share its rewards.

At the end of each year, SMECO’s margins (profits) are allocated to members’ capital credit accounts. SMECO uses its profits to invest in new construction, system improvements, and facility upgrades. The Board of Directors regularly evaluates the financial condition of the co-op and determines when members will receive a refund. Since 1937, SMECO has refunded more than $128 million.

As a cooperative, SMECO will always put its members first and be responsive, reliable, and resourceful — the power you can count on.

Follow SMECO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SMECO.coop and on X at www.twitter.com/somdelectric.

The SMECO 24/7 mobile app is available at www.smeco.coop/247. To learn more about SMECO, visit their Leader Member Page.