This year, SMUS students spent hours participating in weekly Math Club meetings and reviewing past papers in anticipation of the 2024 Math Challengers Competition. This is a provincial contest that tests ambitious students across British Columbia who are interested in math. For the first regional round of the competition, SMUS competed in the Vancouver Island pool at Camosun College with 36 SMUS students from Grades 8-10 participating. Students didn't hold back in showing the strength of math students at SMUS with 12 students qualifying for the provincial round and sweeping first place for each of the individual scorers.
Regional Round Highlights
Here is a list of SMUS participants who secured a top 10 placement on Vancouver Island, qualifying for the provincial finals at the University of British Columbia:
- Grade 8: Paul Holland (1st Place in Vancouver Island), Ethan Zhao, Mia Nadra
- Grade 9: Jiahan Lai (1st Place in Vancouver Island), Joanne Jiang, Alvin Tsao, Mira Zhu
- Grade 10: Ethan Curtis (1st Place in Vancouver Island), Jason Zhang, Joanna Lin, Elmond Aphiwetsa, Kevin Yin
With two months between the regional and provincial competitions, SMUS students continued to prepare. At last, the day of the provincial finals arrived. Waking up at 4:30 am to make the ferry, students didn't let their sleep deprivation get in the way of their goals and arrived at the UBC campus determined to show off their skills.
Provincial Highlights
At the provincial finals, two of the SMUS Grade 9 contestants had a particularly outstanding performances, placing in the top 10 in the province for their respective grade categories:
- Jiahan Lai: 3rd Place
- Joanne Jiang: 8th Place
Most importantly, the provincials were an amazing experience, and everyone had the chance to meet other ambitious BC high school students and make new friends. I would like to acknowledge all the students who participated in the Math Challengers Competition. The enthusiasm for math and determination displayed by all students was outstanding. A special acknowledgment to Mr. DeMerchant and Ms. DeMerchant, the hosts of the Middle School Math Club, and Mr. Dawson, our high school math coach and teacher. These teachers not only supported us as coaches, but also organized the entire trip, provided snacks, and contributed significantly to our school’s impressive success this year.
