With doughnuts, muffins, and juice ready as brain food, the BSM Math League meets every Wednesday morning to practice and expand upon their already impressive computational skills. Ranking first in the state, and with only one meet to go, Math League members are getting ready to attend state for the fourteenth time since being founded as a BSM club.
Being apart of Math League requires hard work and dedication, and many of the team’s members have participated since the beginning of their high school years. “I have been doing it since freshmen year. It doesn’t interfere with any of my sports, and it is very laid back activity,” said senior Micheal Gerten.
Math League not only offers a informal atmosphere to spend time with friends, it also has a practical application in students’ lives. “I like to be able to expand my knowledge on mathematical material, [and] being there really helps my math grade” said sophomore Andrew Egger.
Because the team has grown so large over the years, every person receives the chance to be on the varsity competition team during the regular season. Having such a big team offers a bigger pool of talent to choose from, but there is no specific grade or person that pulls the team’s weight. “There are no stars on the team, [and] everyone has a chance to compete,” said Math League team leader, Jeanne Nightingale.
If the team performs well on their last meet, nine students will be selected from the team of forty-two to attend the state meet. However, all grades will have the opportunity to compete because of the state requirement that at least two underclassmen must be present along side the upper class-men. “[I] look at each individuals scores, as well as how they have competed in past meets when deciding who is going to state,” said Mrs. Nightingale.
Math League team members feel positive about the coming meet, as well as their chances of attending state. “ I think we have a great chance of making it to state. We have a fantastic group of “mathletes” and I am looking forward to them having the chance of showing what they know and can do,” said Nightingale.
