High schoolers compete in math competition

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - High School students from across the nation visit Terre Haute today to put their skills to the test.

Rose-Hulman hosted their 47th Annual High School Mathematics Competition.

Saturday afternoon, high school students from all four grade levels completed a one hour test.

More than 400 students from 26 schools throughout Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio participated.

Organizers said many past winners have gone on to do big things.

"They've been doctors; they've been engineers; they've chemists and professors at various colleges across the nation, at various research centers. Their math opens a whole extra world for them," said Rose-Hulman Professor of Mathematics John Rickert.

Carmel High School of Carmel, Ind. won the competition.

Terre Haute South High School placed third.

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The 20-problem, one-hour exam is one of the Midwest’s largest academic contests, drawing approximately 420 students from 263 high schools in Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. Wabash Valley high schools joining Terre Haute South in the competition were Terre Haute North, West Vigo and South Vermillion.

Carmel High School of Carmel, Indiana was the overall champion for the fourth straight year, with Fishers placing second.

The Rose-Hulman competition is unique because it honors individual and team place finishers in each grade class, along with an overall school champion.

Terre Haute South placed second in the freshman class, and third in the sophomore and junior classes.

Highlighting finishes by local students:

Seniors: Alex Barksdale of Terre Haute South tied for first place; while Deborah Lee, Sagar Patel and Henry Stadler of Terre Haute South tied for 11th place.

Juniors: Ryan Chung of Terre Haute South tied for fourth place and Krishan Kumar of Terre Haute South tied for sixth.

Sophomores: Ben Brubaker of Terre Haute South tied for third place; Michael Crowell of Terre Haute South tied for sixth; and Kush Patel of Terre Haute South was ninth.

Freshmen: Tingyue Cui of Terre Haute South tied for fifth; Kevin Cao of Terre Haute South placed seventh; and Christopher Ray of Terre Haute South tied for 12th.

The competition is sponsored by Rose-Hulman’s Department of Mathematics to promote the important role math has in engineering and science. The contest is organized by professors John Rickert, Leanne Holder and Joe Eichholz; with assistance from department secretary Michelle Prather and department chair Allen Broughton.