A Day of MonuMATHal Victories

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Kaitlin Coleman, Editor

Two teams of four representing Broomfield High School competed at Front Range Math Day. The Broomfield Calcoholics took home a win in the group challenge. Senior, Steven Nyeo left with a first place trophy in the individual competition. Junior Piper Dumont earned a second place trophy in the individual competition. Broomfield High School clearly made their mark in the math community.

Every April, brave and bright-minded teams of four venture far and wide from across Colorado to compete in the Front Range Community College high school math competition. Against other teams from around the state such as Please Derive Safely, The Algebros, and The Common Denominators, Mrs. Rizzuto escorted two Broomfield teams to the competition. The first: The Calcoholics with Sierra Wasserburger,12, Steven Nyeo,12, Anna Stenger, 11, and Piper Dumont, 11. And the second team: The Math Pirates with Caroline Long, 12, Lauryn Munson, 12, Mercedes Trujillo, 12, and Kaitlin Coleman, 12.

There, the two teams were subject to an entire day of math, both team and individual competitions. The day began with a team challenge.

All teams were given an envelope with the same ten math problems and forty minutes to solve them.

The team problems were geared toward critical thinking rather than specific skills in mathematics. So, even less experienced math students had a shot at the win. Next, the students dispersed to different classrooms to take the individual math test. There, they had an hour to complete 60 multiple choice questions involving different algebraic and problem-solving skills. Meanwhile, the group problems were graded, and when the individual test ended, the top eight teams compete in a rapid-fire buzzer round. Two teams were set up with buzzers and the first to buzz in the correct answer to the problem on the board received points until one team remained.

At the end of a long day, awards were given to the winning teams of the rapid-fire round, the group challenge, and the top three scores on the individual test for each grade level. And, at the awards ceremony, Broomfield walked away with six trophies and a new passion for math.