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Teams Take Top Honors in State Math Contest

May 12, 2009

Teams from Big Horn, Burlington, Cheyenne, Dayton and Jackson high schools were top winners in the recent Wolsborn-Drazovich Memorial State Math Contest. The competition is designed to test students' thinking ability and insight into mathematical problems.

At various Wyoming sites, three separate timed written exams were administered -- each intended for students in two grades. The 9-10 grade test is called the B exam and for juniors and seniors it is the A exam. Individual and team awards were presented to winners in both categories. A separate test also was given to seventh and eighth graders and each exam for all students has five parts to it.

The top 4A team, Cheyenne East High School, won both the Class A and B divisions; while the 3A Jackson High School teams took the top two classes. Tongue River High School won the 2A Class A division and Big Horn High School led the Class B competition. Burlington High School dominated the 1A competition, sweeping both the Class A and B fields.

Xiaoyu Yang of Cheyenne East High School received the Steven J. Drazovich Trophy as the top mathematics student in Wyoming.

The annual Wolsborn-Drazovich Memorial State Math Contest is sponsored by two state affiliates of national organizations of math teachers -- Wyoming Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges and the Wyoming Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WCTM).

The Wyoming state math contest is named in memory of Herb Wolsborn and Steven J. Drazovich. Wolsborn was a long time Northwest College faculty member. He helped start and organize the math contest.

Drazovich was a past state math contest winner in both A and B divisions while a student at Rock Springs High School. He was killed in a mountain climbing accident while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His friends and family established a fund to encourage interest and excellence in mathematics and to recognize outstanding students. The fund provides trophies and cash awards to the contest's winners.

This year's exam was given at 10 different sites, including UW. Other communities that hosted area students were Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Jackson, Powell, Riverton, Rock Springs, Sheridan and Torrington.

"Many of the UW Department of Mathematics faculty belong to either of the two state math associations," says UW Mathematics Associate Professor Lynne Ipina. "Because UW is one of the testing sites, our faculty has traditionally taken the lead on preparing the exam content. We team with faculty from Wyoming community colleges to prepare the questions and proof the exams."   

Members of the winning team in each division with the Class A competition listed first followed by Class B squads were:

4A Cheyenne East High School -- Robbie Carr, Kayla Peters, Xiaoyu Yang.
4B Cheyenne East High School -- Austin Byers, Geoff Carr, Ivan Larson.
3A Jackson High School -- Tobin Brown, Shaena Berlin, Hunter Swan.
3B Jackson High School -- Will Barge, Monica Brockman, Ben Trauner.
2A Tongue River High School -- John Hannahs, Taylor Kerns, Chris Maze.
2B Big Horn High School -- Nelson Alzheimer, Michael Klepperich, Wyatt Mirich.
1A Burlington High School -- Seth Consoliver, Sam Davidson, Bonni Schatz.
1B Burlington High School -- Janet Davidson, Kendra Jensen, Sadie Neves.

Individuals also were recognized with the top 10 named for 4A, 4B, 3A, 3B schools, while honors were given to the top five in both the 2A, 2B, 1A and 1B divisions. Listed first are the Class A winners by total score:

4A schools -- Xiaoyu Yang, Cheyenne East High School; Stephen Bagley, Laramie High School; David Wang, Cheyenne Central High School; Robbie Carr, Cheyenne East High School; Nathasha Pettinger, Laramie High School; Leland Hepworth, Casper Natrona County High School; Travis Vliem and Trevor Polson, both Campbell County High School; Catherine Harden, Casper Kelly Walsh High School; and Reilly Brogan, Sheridan High School.

3A schools -- Hunter Swan, Jackson High School; Dan Sinner, Cody High School; Tobin Brown, Shaena Berlin, Kelly King and Stuart Smith, all Jackson High School; Aaron Spurlock, Lander Valley High School; Desiree Bridges, Jackson High School; and Roy Oursler, Powell High School.

2A schools -- Kelsie Anson, Riverside High School; Chris Maze, Tongue River High School; Luis Juado, Rocky Mountain High School; Alison Wigglesworth, Big Horn High School; and Jesse Gonzales, Guernsey-Sunrise High School.

1A schools -- Anna Shafer, Heritage Christian Academy; Trevor Ross, Southeast High School; Daniel Wise, Upton High School; and Seth Consoliver and Bonni Schatz, both Burlington High School.

The top individual scores among students in the Class B competition were:

4B schools -- Austin Byers, Cheyenne East High School; Michael Scheetz, Campbell County High School; Geoff Carr, Cheyenne East High School; Natalie Shih, Laramie High School; Ivan Larson, Cheyenne East High School; Timothy Lew, Rock Springs High School; Bryan Hopkin, and Keegan Haukaas, both Evanston High School; and Ryan Brogan, Sheridan High School.

3B schools -- Parker Jackson, Lyman High School; Monica Brockman and Will Barge, both Jackson High School; Lee Livingston, Cody High School; Ben Trauner, Jackson High School; Stephanie King, Torrington High School; Tyler McIntosh, Jackson High School; Kasha Peterson, Lyman High School; Benson Checketts, Lovell High School; and Alexander McCord, Cody High School.

2B schools -- Donghan Kim, Riverside High School; Michael Klepperich, Nelson Alzheimer and Wyatt Mirich, all Big Horn High School; and Cody Fagley, Riverside High School.

1B schools -- Matthew Shafer, Heritage High School; Janet Davidson and Kendra Jensen, both Burlington High School; Shaylyn Reichert, Southeast High School; and Travis Woods, Upton High School.

Individual awards also were presented to students competing in the seventh and eighth grade divisions.

The top five seventh graders earning awards were Sarah Shader, Maurice Shih and Jing Yu Li, all Laramie Junior High School; Ethan Gunther, Cody Middle School; and Justin Janes, Powell Middle School.

Eighth grade award winners were Alan Hatlestad, Centennial Junior High School; Gabriel Shih, Laramie Junior High School; Brian Wingate, McCormick Junior High School; Deavon Mauch, Twin Spruce Junior High School; and Lingga Adidharma, Laramie Junior High School.

Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009

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