Oregon Institute of Technology hosted the 2012 Klamath Regional Chapter MATHCOUNTS Competition on February 3, 2012. The event was sponsored by several Oregon Tech departments including Geomatics, Mathematics, Renewable Energy Engineering, and Student Affairs.
This exciting competition brought more than 100 Mathletes® (6th – 8th grade) from all over the Klamath Basin and northern California to campus. Coaches worked with these students for months in preparation for the competition. The top officially registered team and the top two officially registered individuals now have the opportunity to compete in the State Competition in March.
MATHCOUNTS is a national enrichment club and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement through grassroots involvement in every U.S. state and territory.
Students participated in three rounds of competition and then listened to presentations from Oregon Tech professors Jack Walker of the Geomatics Program and Bruce Barnes of the Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Engineering Program.
Awards were given to the following competitors:
MATHCOUNTS Official Competition
Individual
1st place – Zoe Whitlock, Ponderosa Junior High
2nd place – Spencer DeVries, Roosevelt Elementary School
3rd place – Hayden Dentinger, Ponderosa Junior High
Team
1st place – Ponderosa Junior High Team #1 (Zoe Whitlock, Rianna Delgado, Hayden Dentinger, Jacob Slinker)
2nd place – Roosevelt Elementary Extreme Exponent (Megan Holm, Audrey Lindgren, Christy Mueller, Zoe Haupt)
3rd place – Henley Middle School Henley Honey Bees (Aimee Bruner, Claire Field, Paige Hahn, Meghan Holiday)
Oregon Tech Competition (non-official)
Individual
1st place – Marina Howresko, Henley Middle School
2nd place – Tiana Taylor, Lost River
3rd place – Tanner Weaver, Tulelake
Team
1st place – Roosevelt Elementary Quadratic Quartet (Cassandra Shih, Kenneth Crowell, Spencer DeVries, Jessica Reed)
2nd place – Tulelake Junior High Imaginary π (Kaitlin Hartung, D’Anna Massey, Alejandro Pardo, Tanner Weaver)
3rd place – Lost River Team #4 (Tanner Girtman, Bailin Mann, Jose Rizo, Andrew Taylor)
Oregon Tech scholarships were also awarded to the top three overall competitors:
Zoe Whitlock, Ponderosa Junior High received $2500
Spencer DeVries, Roosevelt Elementary received $1500
Marina Howresko, Henley Middle School received $1000
Oregon Tech mathematics professors Jim Fischer and Gregg Waterman served as the main facilitators for this event. The event was coordinated by Crystal Murphy, Youth Programs Coordinator.
Additional Information about MATHCOUNTS:
To secure America's global competitiveness, MATHCOUNTS inspires excellence, confidence and curiosity in U.S. middle school students through fun and challenging math programs. With the generous support of all MATHCOUNTS sponsors and volunteers, and leadership of the National Society of Professional Engineers at the local and state levels, MATHCOUNTS is providing today’s students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.
Currently in their 29th year, MATHCOUNTS is one of the nation’s largest and most successful education partnerships involving volunteers, educators, industry sponsors and students. President Barack Obama and former Presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald W. Reagan have all recognized MATHCOUNTS in White House ceremonies. The MATHCOUNTS program has also received two White House citations as an outstanding private sector initiative. Particularly exciting for our Mathletes® were the hour-long ESPN programs on each of the National Competitions from 2003-2005.
About Oregon Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is one of seven institutions in the Oregon University System, and the only public institute of technology in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides degree programs in engineering and health technologies, management, communications and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public and international communities through hands-on learning. Oregon Tech’s main campus is in Klamath Falls; other sites are located in Portland, Salem, La Grande and Seattle. Oregon Tech will consolidate its campuses in the Portland area to a larger facility in Wilsonville in Fall 2012. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.
