Eighty-four middle school students from all 14 traditional middle schools in Johnston County participated in the annual district MATHCOUNTS competition, held at Johnston Community College. This marks the first time in several years that every brick-and-mortar middle school was represented at the event.
Amanda Byrd, Secondary Math Specialist for Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS), attributed the growing popularity of MATHCOUNTS to dedicated coaches and engaging activities. “I feel that the growth in popularity in participating in MATHCOUNTS stems from the coaches’ enthusiasm at the school level, along with providing a fun, engaging event for students who enjoy mathematics,” said Byrd.
Teams created unique names such as Four Oaks Middle Cardinal Coefficients, Swift Creek Middle DiviDENS, and Meadow School’s The Meadow Matrix. The competition included three rounds: Sprint, Target, and a Team Round. Students competed for individual trophies and team awards.
Avery Scott of Princeton Middle won first place in the individual category. Rece Willingham and Benjamin Krakowsky from Cleveland Middle Calculators placed second and third, respectively. Joan Chavez of The Meadow Matrix finished fourth.
In team results, Cleveland Middle Calculators took first place. Princeton Middle Bulldogs came second, while Innovation Academy πoneers secured third place.
The final event was the Countdown Round—a public speed-buzzer match among the top eight individuals. Avery Scott again took first place; Benjamin Krakowsky was second; Luke Spears from Swift Creek Middle DiviDENS placed third and also earned recognition for answering the most questions correctly during this round.
MATHCOUNTS is a national program designed to enhance problem-solving skills through a series of competitions at school, chapter, state, and national levels. Individual and team winners from this district event will advance to compete in Raleigh before moving on to higher levels if successful.
“MATHCOUNTS is not only about finding the right answer, but it’s also about learning how to think critically, solve problems, and work together to tackle math’s challenges,” stated Byrd.
Photographs from the event showed winning teams and individuals displaying their medals and trophies.
