Mathletes come to YSU for annual MATHCOUNTS competition

Nearly 175 students from 19 middle and junior high schools through the region participate in the 2016 MATHCOUNTS competition Monday, Feb. 22, on the campus of Youngstown State University. Sponsored by the Mahoning Valley Society of Professional Engineers and YSU’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, the contest begins at 9 a.m. in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. During the morning’s written component, teams of four students, as well as individual competitors from each school, answer a variety of questions on probability, statistics, linear algebra and polynomials. The afternoon Mathbowl competition begins at 12:15 p.m. and follows a game-show format as teams of students compete to score points by correctly answering math questions. The final event is the Countdown Round, at 1:45 p.m., featuring a head-to-head competition among the top 16 contestants. Awards will be presented at a banquet 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at A La Cart Catering in Canfield. The top teams and individuals from the Mahoning Valley competition will advance to the state MATHCOUNTS competition in Columbus on March 12. The top four finishers in the state competition earn the opportunity to represent Ohio at the 2016 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition in Washington D.C. MATHCOUNTS is now in its 33rd consecutive year. David Ritter and Scott Martin are the coordinators of the Mahoning Valley MATHCOUNTS program. Major funding for the local program is provided by Dominion East Ohio. Participating schools include: Austintown Middle School, Boardman Center Middle School, Boardman Glenwood Middle School, St. Charles School, Canfield Middle School, Crestview Middle School (Columbia), East Palestine Middle School, St. Rose School (Girard), Ohio Virtual Academy (home school), Hubbard Middle School, Lisbon David Anderson Jr/Sr High School, Holy Family School (Poland), Poland Middle School, Struthers Middle School, Howland Middle School, Lincoln School, Chaney High School (Youngstown), Horizon Science Academy (Youngstown) and Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley. Note to news media: The Mathbowl Contest and the Countdown Round provide the best action photo opportunities. The Mathbowl preliminary rounds take place in Kilcawley Center’s Chestnut Room and Ohio Room from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., with the final round in the Chestnut Room at 1:30 p.m. The Countdown Round begins approximately at 1:45 p.m. and ends around 2:15 p.m.