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One test plus 100 students from six local schools equals $18,500 in scholarship funds awarded at the annual OSU MTC Marion Math Competition. Students from Elgin, Marion Harding, North Union, Pleasant, Ridgedale and River Valley came to the Marion campus to compete.

“The math challenge was created to bring together high school teachers and college faculty to improve and recognize students who excel,” said David Gorenflo, a long-time volunteer for the event.

“Building skills in mathematics supports the development of the quantitative analysis skills so important in all areas, not just science and engineering,” said 91���� Marion Dean and Director Gregory S. Rose. “Congratulations on taking on the challenge of excelling in mathematics.”

“STEM is so important for future careers,” said Dr. Ryan McCall, president of Marion Tech. “These excellent students deserve the recognition. We hope these scholarships offer a hand up as students continue to learn and succeed.”

Marion Technical College and 91���� at Marion each awarded the first-place winner $1,000. The second-place winners earned $750 from each institution. The third-place winner in each grade level was awarded $500 from each college. The top six scorers from each school were used to create teams. Each top team received individual medals and a school trophy.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

9th Grade
1st Place Jacob Hunter River Valley
2nd Place Brogan Weston Ridgedale
3rd Place JJ Slaughterbeck Ridgedale

10th Grade
1st Place Samantha Schmelzer Pleasant
2nd Place Kayla Knox North Union
3rd Place Troy Harvey North Union

11th Grade
1st Place Maura Murphy Pleasant
2nd Place Chase Osborne River Valley
3rd Place Audrey Simon Harding

12th Grade
1st Place Ivan Ni River Valley
2nd Place Kaitlynn Sutherland Harding
3rd Place Benjamin Dunham Pleasant

TEAM WINNERS
These include the top scorers from each school from all grades. The students received individual medals and the school received a trophy. The name with the highest score is listed first.

1st Place: Pleasant High School: Maura Murphy, Benjamin Dunham, Cole Dyer, Samantha Schmelzer, Donnie Le and Jonah Bowdle.
2nd Place: Marion Harding High School: Kaitlynn Sutherland, Jacob Beaschler, Audrey Simon, Mateusz Lisiecki, Adrian Shipley and Hailey Smith.
3rd Place: North Union: Cayden Lassiter, Glade Jolliff, Anna Crusey, Abigail Zimmerman, Jenny Wang and Kayla Knox.

“The Marion Mathematics Challenge is one of my favorite events each semester. It is refreshing and inspiring to see local students engaging in conversations about math problems after the test. I am amazed after each competition by the math ability of our area students. I greatly enjoy providing students with an outlet for mathematics and to be recognized for their hard work,” said Tyler Maley, Director of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Marion Tech. “I am proud to be a part of this important community event. I am thankful for our committee, the sponsors, and the support of the local schools and colleges to make this event possible.”

In addition to congratulating the participants and the winners, Marion Tech and 91���� Marion would like to thank the Wm. Kay Davis Foundation for providing all trophies and awards.

Committee members who work organize the event, write the test, calculate the winners and prepare practice tests include: Micah Chrisman, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at 91���� Marion; David Gorenflo, retired Tech Prep Consultant at Marion Tech; John Maharry, Professor of Mathematics at 91���� Marion; Tyler Maley, Director of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Marion Tech; Katie McCormack, Mathematics Faculty at Marion Tech; Brian McEnnis, Professor of Mathematics Emeritus at 91���� University Marion; Sally O’Connor, Adjunct Faculty at Marion Tech; Jackie Potts, Mathematics Faculty at Marion Tech; and Scott Zimmerman, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at 91���� Marion.