Love of math adds up for middle schoolers

Win or lose, math counts.

That was the message Onslow County Assistant Superintendent Lesley Eason had for all the students who participated in Friday's Mathcounts practice session, sponsored by Onslow County Schools.

"You are all winners because you have been chosen to represent your school," she told the competitors.

Mathcounts is a national event for seventh and eighth graders. Friday's practice competition at Clyde Erwin Elementary School included four-member teams, plus two alternates, from all Onslow County Middle Schools, Brewster Middle from Camp Lejeune and Broad Creek Middle School in Carteret County. The regional competition will be held in two weeks.

During Mathcounts, student "mathletes" compete individually and as a team during the six-hour event. After four rounds of competition Friday, trophies and ribbons were presented to the top three teams in team composite score and ciphering, as well as to the top three individuals.

Michele Halley, the Onslow County Mathcounts coordinator, said she loves watching the students as they work through the problems.

 "I love to watch the interaction between each team as they figure out the best way to solve the problems together," she said. "It's really something."

The ciphering round included questions from the state competition a couple years ago, said Michael Elder, the Onslow County coordinator of academic innovation who moderated the event.

"To see them (figure out the problem) in one minute - to just watch their faces when you see them get it, is great," he said. "This is kind of like the science fair; the kids get to see that math is okay."

Brewster Middle School's team began preparations for the competition last October, said its coach Jennifer Mitchell.

"We meet after school every Thursday, and we have done some other fun activities around the school," she said. "We've also done a lot of practice competitions."

Most students agreed the ciphering round was the hardest part of the competition and the team round was the most fun.

"I like the team round the best because you get to work together," said Chryssandra Tatum with Brewster.

Taylor Studer from Northwoods Park said ciphering was "nerve-wracking."

"I liked the team round because it was more relaxed," Taylor said.

The ciphering round was the most fun for Teagan Pollock, the captain of the Northwoods Park team. Teagan was the first place winner in the individual competition, and her team took first place in total team composite.

"It's my favorite part because I'm competitive, and I guess I like one-on-one the most," she said. "I like that it's about how fast you can do something accurately, if that makes any sense."

She and her team members started to prepare for Mathcounts in August and work five days a week during school hours, said their coach, James Grossman. Teagan was thrilled that the work paid off.

"I am just so happy, you don't understand," she said. "I can't wait to get home to tell my parents. I am so excited."

And the winners are ...

Ciphering

• First - New Bridge Middle School
• Second - Dixon Middle School
• Third - Broad Creek Middle School

Team Total Composites

• First - Northwoods Park Middle School
• Second - Dixon Middle School
• Third - New Bridge Middle School

Individual

• First - Teagan Pollock, Northwoods Park Middle School
• Second - Jordan Thomas, New Bridge Middle School
• Third - Gabriel Neuber, Swansboro Middle School

Contact Topsail area reporter Suzanne Ulbrich at sulbrich@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8454.