In a packed lecture hall at the University of Georgia, 320 mathletes await the last of the results of the math tournament. The second-place team had just been announced, four triumphant students walking back to their seats with mugs and a golden certificate.
The applause cut itself short though, everyone quiet as there was still one award left.
“And first place goes to…a team out-of-state…Vestavia Hills!”
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The day before that moment, twelve Vestavia students (Alan Sheng, Ben Cusmariu, Connor Moorhouse, Eric Wang, Grace Ding, John Lee Wimberly, Logan Gregory, Logan Hawley, Tate Bogdanchik, Terence Li, Tina Gao, and Tina Lou), Mr. Taylor, and Ms. Gifford hopped on a bus after 5th period, starting this weekend competition. After tryouts and a week of focused practice, they were on their way.
That long bus ride wasn’t uneventful, however; the students were in charge of figuring out dinner, rooming, and most importantly, the groups of four for the tournaments’ team round. As results show, the strategy in teaming paid off.
After braving through traffic and arriving at the hotel, the team had dinner and explored Athens for an evening. From sushi and hibachi to chicken and waffles, the competitors and sponsors enjoyed meals and conversations, ready to compete the day after.
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A night together and a complimentary breakfast later, it was time for these mathletes to put pencil to scantron. First, they completed ciphering, a fast-paced round of ten questions each worth ten points, two minutes per problem. Students attacked the questions, ready to shoot their answer sheets up for college students to collect their color-coded papers.
Then, it was time for the written exam, a set of twenty-five questions meant to be completed individually in ninety minutes. Compared to ciphering, these questions are much harder, paragraphs being used to explain functions and geometric shapes needing “...”’s to represent their magnitude.
Do not mistake any of this for torture; it’s quite the opposite. After an hour and a half, students turn in a result of both hard work and a fascination in clever challenges. Instantly, they excitedly search for their teammates to discuss answers and calculate possible results.
Lastly, after a lunch break in a nearby dining hall, it was time to start the team round, three complex problems meant to be solved by a team of four in one hour. This round was high-stakes, as each question was worth seventy points! Once the timer started, rooms buzzed with strategy and discussion. Time passed by quickly for them as their minds raced to come up with solutions. Yet, they ran out of seconds eventually, and it was time to turn in a single sheet of paper with three numbers, competitors praying that they matched an answer key.
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Ultimately, Vestavia students won big: Tina G placed 6th, Eric placed 8th, and John Lee placed 12th. They received unconventional trophies, such as t-shirts and earbuds.
“And first place goes to…a team out-of-state…Vestavia Hills!”
Said team, from the back of the room, jumped in excitement and even surprise. Other schools clapped as the team of Eric, John Lee, Terence, and Tina G. claimed their prizes. The two other Vestavia teams also placed in the top 15 out of 85 total teams.
After taking celebratory photos and studying full rankings, it was time to return home to Alabama.
Once again, the Vestavia Hills Math Team took home victory, marking the start of another winning streak. Congrats everyone, and go Rebels!
