High Point Academy Mathletes Shine at Local Tournament

The High Point “Polygon” team celebrates a correct response.

On Saturday morning, a team of ten High Point 4th-6th graders woke up early, drove across town, and found the sum of all prime numbers between 100 and 200 that are 1 or 2 more than a perfect square.

The team, selected from members of the High Point Math Club, attended the 2nd annual Laurence Invitational Math Tournament, hosted by the Laurence School in Valley Glen. There, in front of a packed gymnasium, the Eagle mathletes solved a series of complex problems using arithmetic, algebra, and everything in between. In the individual contest, participants had 30 minutes to solve 10 problems individually. The team round featured teams of five students collaborating to solve extra challenging problems.

Bouncing Back
In the spring of 2019, High Point attended the inaugural Laurence Tournament. While those students were enriched by their experience, they were somewhat disappointed with the results (only one High Point student placed in the top 5).

The 2020 team understood that the “D” in “Eagle P.R.I.D.E” stands for determination, and they hoped to find more success this time around. They spent the weeks and months leading up this year’s event practicing, preparing, and visualizing success.

With enthusiasm and confidence, the Eagles rose to the occasion with four individuals earning top-5 finishes in their divisions. The highlight of the day came when Reece L. earned a runner-up finish in his individual contest. Reece, a High Point 5th grader, chose to enter the illustrious “Polyhedron” contest, which is comprised mostly of 6th grade students from other schools. Undeterred, he correctly answered 9 out of 10 questions to take home a silver medal.

With four fourth-graders on the roster, HPA had one of the youngest teams at the competition. The future is bright!

Looking Ahead
The Eagle mathletes will compete once more this spring, in early May at the High Point Academy Math Tournament, before turning their sights to their next competitive season. 9 out of the 10 Eagles who competed at Laurence will be eligible to return again next year. With an additional year of experience under their belts, the team will be in a strong position to continue their upward trends of improvement and success.

High Point Academy, 1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road, Pasadena, (626) 798-8989 or visit www.highpointacademy.org.