Plum Grove Finishes Fifth At State MATHCOUNTS Meet

Five District 15 students rank in the top 25 percent of the field

Led by another strong performance from eighth grader Emily Jia, Plum Grove Junior High’s MATHCOUNTS team finished its 2012 season with a fifth-place finish at the state competition held Saturday, March 3, in Lisle.

Winston Campus Junior High’s MATHCOUNTS team also participated in the state competition, finishing 16th in the field of 50 teams.

The two teams qualified to compete at state after excelling in their regional competitions, which were held February 4 at Oakton Community College. For the fourth year in a row, Plum Grove’s MATHCOUNTS team took first place in the regional competition. Winston Campus took third place at regionals for the second consecutive year.

Individually, Emily Jia placed the highest of the eleven District 15 students who competed at state, finishing sixth in the field of more than 300 competitors. Her top-10 finish qualified her to compete in the Countdown Round, where she took second place.

Four other District 15 students had their rankings published, meaning they finished among the top 25 percent of the field. Mark Guo, an eighth grader at Plum Grove, finished 22nd; Emery Liu, an eighth grader from Winston Campus, finished 39th; George Moe, a seventh grader from Plum Grove, finished 56th; and Kevin Chen, a sixth grader from Hunting Ridge School, finished 59th.

Sponsored by the Professional Society of Engineers, MATHCOUNTS is a national enrichment, coaching, and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement and provides today’s students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers.

Now in its 29th year, MATHCOUNTS is one of the country’s largest and most successful education partnerships involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors, and students.

District 15 students who competed in the state MATHCOUNTS competition are:

PLUM GROVE JUNIOR HIGH

Team members: James Feng (4th place at regionals), Mark Guo (9th place at regionals and 22nd place at state), Emily Jia (1st place at regionals and 6th place at state), and Ann Rajan (15th place at regionals)

Individual participants: George Moe (7th place at regionals and 56th place at state), Angie Peng (3rd place at regionals)

WINSTON CAMPUS JUNIOR HIGH

Team members: Brandon Canfield (16th place at regionals), Emery Liu (6th place at regionals and 39th place at state), Bryan Lu (36th place at regionals), and Timothy Mathew (18th place at regionals)

HUNTING RIDGE SCHOOL:

Individual participant: Kevin Chen (12th place at regionals and 59th place at state)

-Story Submitted by Community Consolidated School District 15