Huntington Math Olympiad Team
is Perfect
It's a grueling competition, but these young mathematicians were up to the challenge as one of the Huntington School District's Math Olympiad teams notched the only perfect score in the 5th Annual Suffolk County Math Tournament at Stony Brook University.
Maryann Daly, the district's SEARCH program chairperson-teacher and Math Olympiad coach, took her top 20 scoring team members to Stony Brook for a battle against 210 exceptional students from Half Hollow Hills, Three Village, Hauppauge, Port Jefferson, Central Islip, Smithtown, Longwood, West Islip, Laurel Hill, Brentwood, Commack and Northport.
The students were given questions that required deep thinking and analysis. Here's an example: When Lauren was born on January 7, her father said, "On January 8, 2050, the year will be 50 times her age then." What is her age one week from today?
Individual meets ensued along with team competitions with the talented students locked in mental exercises. "Questions were tricky, advanced and sometimes confusing, but our children remained focused and determined to do their very best," Mrs. Daly said.
The sixth grade squad consisting of team captain Aidan Forbes, Dylan Bluemer, Anthony Puglisi, Alexandra Cartwright and Katie Reilly scored the only perfect 10 in the team event, "quite an achievement when you consider the stiff competition and when you consider the caliber of ability of these young talented children," Mrs. Daly said. The squad was the only one of 47 teams that earned an unblemished score.
One of Huntington's fifth grade teams, which consisted of Jack Hanson (captain), Haley Mortell, David Mosden, Katie Burton and Hadley Clayton, scored seven correct answers out of ten in the team event, a high score for students new to the tournament. "I can only imagine how well they will do next year," Mrs. Daly said. "The teacher proctoring the team complimented these students for working so well together, which truly is an honor in itself."
A second sixth grade team comprised of Luke Eidle (captain), Peter Ciccone, Jose Luis Granados, Nicholas Earle and William Fallon was focused and cohesive, operating as a well-oiled machine.
A second fifth grade team consisting of Katie Stock (captain), Ariana Strieb, Noah Morris, Madeline Haughwout and Adriana Scarpati worked hard and also represented the district well in the tough competition.
Two Huntington students were involved in the sudden-death tiebreaker round as Messrs. Forbes and Fallon were among just 22 competitors to advance to the nail-biting segment as a result of their high individual scores. Mr. Forbes emerged in ninth place and was presented with a trophy.
"Having this tournament fall on the day when the school communities are voting on school budgets was both ironic and fitting," Mrs. Daly said. "If everyone concerned about education could just witness the talent, drive and willingness of these 200 plus math students they wouldn't hesitate to promote the excellence we certainly can be proud of that exists in Huntington."
The Huntington Math Olympians trekked back home with their heads held high. "I am so very proud of my Math Olympiad students who were so enthusiastic and focused during this all-day event," Mrs. Daly said. "I'm proud to know them and prouder to be their teacher."