Shaker Middle School’s math team is headed to the state finals of the national MathCounts competition later this spring.
The SMS Mathematics Club earned second place Feb. 4 at the regional MathCounts competition held at the General Electric Global Research Center Headquarters in Niskayuna. The regional competition was organized by the Capital District Chapter of the NYS Society of Professional Engineers and GE volunteers.
SMS was one of 13 area middle school teams to participate.The SMS team includes: Student Coach Aimee Cao, Michael Wu, Yifan Shang, Alexander King, Darshni Ramesh, Christina Zhang, Gianna Zhang, Chinmayi Maddali, William Mao, Richard Lin, Evelyn Lu, Samuel Lin, and Sophia Hu. Teacher Heather Rizzo is the SMS Mathematics Coach.
Students competed as a team and individually in written and fast-paced oral matches. Subjects include algebra, probability, statistics, and geometry. In addition to the team earning second place, Samuel Lin earned second place for the top individuals category and Sophia Hu earned third place for the top individuals category.
While no award was given for the countdown round, four SMS teammates earned spots in this highly sought after part of the competition: Yifan Shang, Michael Wu, Sophia Hu, and Samuel Lin. Sophia earned second place in this category.
The national 2023 MathCounts competition consists of 500 local chapters from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. In its 40th year, the program is designed to improve math skills among U.S. students in a way that’s fun and engaging. It focuses on engaging middle school students who are at a critical stage in developing and sustaining math interest and ability.
The state competition takes place in March in Saratoga Springs.
Congratulations to the entire team and Coach Rizzo!