By Helen Wolt
Reprinted from the Sun Sentinel
The American Heritage School of Boca Delray won first place among Palm Beach County high schools at the Florida Mu Alpha Theta math competition.
Out of 57 schools competing in the statewide, two-day Orlando event, American Heritage ranked in the single digits. It placed above Suncoast Community High School, in 11th place, and Saint Andrew's School, in 24th place.
"This year we finished in the top 10 for the first time," said James Matthews, team coach and math department chairman. "We were competing against a number of really strong schools."
Sixteen students from the 31-member team won a combined total of 31 trophies. The school qualified to compete at the national championships in July in Salt Lake City.
"We are going for the first time. Ten students scored high enough and showed great potential," Matthews said.
Seniors who will graduate before the summer contest have elected not to compete, leaving the honor to underclassmen.
Standout students include sophomore Elaine Dong. She earned a perfect score in geometry. Junior David He placed in the top 5 percent for calculus.
American Heritage has been working to expand its presence in the competitive arena. It restructured the math program, putting emphasis on the benefits of tournaments. Since 2012, the private school has seen a steady rise in participants.
"The disciplines we compete in are geometry, algebra one and two, pre-calculus, calculus and statistics," Matthews said.
Testing at the competitions is rigorous. Students use only pencil and paper. Calculators are allowed solely in statistics exams.
Timing makes the challenge difficult. During the 60-minute rounds, 30 questions must be answered. "That's two minutes per question. They work feverishly," Matthews said.
Answers are scored on a Scantron form. The multiple-choice format with a "none of the above" option eliminates any chance of guesswork.
To prepare for the challenge, the high-schoolers gather after school and on Saturdays for two to three hours. Playoffs start in January with the six series Mu Alpha Petites. Three are regional and three meet at the state level.
The Saturday petite matches are all-day affairs. The school boards two buses with about 60 students at 5:30 a.m. By the time they return, it's evening. But the rewards are worthwhile.
"It's amazing to see so many young students enjoying math and having a great time," Matthews said. "They tend to make friends with their own peers and start to get to know others."
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