Students prepare for state competition
Kalispell Middle School students who dominated at a regional Mathcounts competition and will compete at state today along with Cayuse Prairie and Fair-Mont-Egan qualifiers.
The Kalispell Middle School students took the top six spots at the regional competition held in February at Flathead Valley Community College against 84 competitors representing 10 schools. They include eighth-graders Peter Konopka, first place, Colter Girardot, second place, Mason Rediger, third place, Eva Bruce, fifth place and seventh-grader Mason Fauth, sixth place.
Cayuse Prairie School students advancing to state include eighth-graders Mark Bartos, Ben Davidson, Sydney Harp and seventh-grader Hunter Frescas. The Cayuse Prairie team is coached by Corey Grutsch. Fair-Mont-Egan state qualifiers are eighth-graders Wyatt Freund, Aaliyah Spencer, Jordan Zarich and seventh-grader Leah Spencer. The Fair-Mont-Egan team is coached by Heather Dickey and Matthew Honcoop.
Mathcounts is a combination math coaching and competition program. Students were tested on a variety of topics such as probability, statistics, linear algebra and polynomials in four individual or team rounds. The competition consists of written tests and a fast-paced oral match called the Countdown Round, of which Konopka was named champion. In total, the competition lasts roughly three hours.
TO PERFECT skills in any subject takes practice. Math isn’t any different. Kalispell Middle School mathletes meet up in weekly practices months in advance to prepare for competition coached by eighth-grade math teacher Peter Musick.
“Your brain is a muscle and we work that muscle with math,” Musick said. “We want to share that competition is not just for athletics.”
As a coach Musick looks to harness the individual strengths and talents of team members.
“I look at all of the kids and how they think,” Musick said. “Then I try to excite that thinking about math by giving them different math problems and giving them the time to work through each math problem.”
Competitions are an opportunity to have fun with math.
“If you make a mistake, it’s no big deal. There’s no grade and no pressure of failing. By allowing kids to do it themselves I create independent and self-motivated mathletes,” Musick said.
So how does Musick know he has a future mathlete in his midst?
“When they get excited about solving math problems, I know they are hooked.” Musick explained.
Eighty-eight top middle school mathletes from around the state will go head-to-head at the Montana State Mathcounts Competition in Butte on Thursday.
The four highest-scoring competitors at state advance to the Raytheon Mathcounts National Competition May 13-16 in Florida.
On tap later this month is another opportunity for students to compete. Seventh- through 12th-grade students are invited to compete at the Northwest Regional Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics competition March 16 at Flathead Valley Community College.
Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.ß