KU News Release

Students from area schools participate in KU math competition

LAWRENCE — More than 230 students from 84 area elementary, middle and high schools were graded on problem solving and critical thinking at a mathematics competition held earlier this month at the University of Kansas.

The competition was divided up into four age groups: third and fourth grade, fifth and sixth grade, junior high (seventh, eighth and ninth grades) and senior high school (10th, 11th and 12th grades). This was the first year for the third-fourth grade competition.

Cash prizes are given to the top three places in each age group. The prizes will be awarded at the mathematics department’s 50th Honors Banquet, which will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at the Adams Alumni Center. The exams consisted of five questions that took 40 minutes to complete. Jack Porter, professor of mathematics, coordinated the competition.

The competition is held in conjunction with the mathematics department’s Mathematics Awareness Month activities. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Math and the Brain.” Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, professor of mathematics, coordinates the month’s activities.

Winners are listed below.

Third and fourth grades:

First place: Hyunmin Ban, Hillcrest Elementary, Lawrence
Second place: Zhisheng Xue, Overland Trail Elementary, Overland Park
Third place: Ethan Kallenberger, Quail Run Elementary, Lawrence

Honorable mentions:
Matthew Eagle, Quail Run Elementary, Lawrence
Zhi Yuan Xue, Overland Trail Elementary, Overland Park
Namita Kulkami, Bentwood Elementary, Olathe

Fifth and sixth grades:

First place: Michael Zhou, Overland Trail Elementary, Overland Park
Second place (tie): Kevin Cao, Oxford Middle School, Overland Park; and Andrei Elliot, Quail Run Elementary, Lawrence

Honorable mentions:
Jonathan Fry, Oxford Elementary, Overland Park
Kiran Jagtiani, Pembroke Hill Middle, Kansas City, Mo.
David Marsh, Pembroke Hill Middle, Kansas City, Mo.
Mei Mei, Regency Place Elementary, Olathe
Megan Smith, Christa McAuliffe Elementary, Shawnee Mission

Junior high (seventh, eighth and ninth grades):

First place (tie): Thomas Hodgman, Pembroke Hill, Kansas City, Mo.; and Li Zeng, Chisholm Trail Junior High School, Olathe
Third place: Foster Honeck, Pembroke Hill, Kansas City, Mo.

Honorable mentions:
Gaurav Anand, Thomas Hodgman, Pembroke Hill, Kansas City, Mo.
Michael Chen, Oxford Middle School, Overland Park
Jason Chang, Southwest Junior High School, Lawrence
Spenser Chu, St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School, Kansas City, Mo.
Eli Fromm, Pembroke Hill, Kansas City, Mo.
Nimish Mittal, Lakewood Middle School, Overland Park
Jonathan Park, Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park

Senior High (10th, 11th and 12th grades):

First place: Benjamin Greenberg, Lawrence Free State High School, Lawrence
Second place (tie): Mahadev (Dave) Nair, Pembroke Hill, Kansas City, Mo.; and Ingrid Hwang, Lawrence High School, Lawrence

Honorable mentions:
Stephen Rong, Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park
Matthew Sullivan, Shawnee Mission North High School, Overland Park

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