Johnston Reporter

Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) recently hosted its annual MathCounts district competition at Johnston Community College on December 6, 2024. The event is part of a national middle school mathematics competition aimed at developing problem-solving skills and promoting achievement through a series of "bee" style contests.

A total of 121 students from 13 JCPS middle schools participated in this year's competition, almost doubling last year's participation. Students formed teams of four, representing 13 varsity teams and 12 junior varsity teams.

Innovation Academy student Sam McLeod emerged as the overall individual winner in the MathCounts event. Aiden Ernst from North Johnston Middle secured second place, while Edgar Cordon Juarez from McGee's Crossroads Middle completed the top three individual winners.

In the team category, North Johnston Middle's team "The Brainy Bunch" took first place. The Innovation Academy's “πoneers” came in second, followed by Princeton Middle/High Bulldogs in third place.

Sophia Zenobi from North Johnston Middle achieved first place for answering the most questions correctly in the Countdown Round Competition category.

Amanda Byrd, JCPS Teaching & Learning Secondary Math Specialist, stated that "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."

The Competition Series progresses through four levels: school, chapter, state, and national. Winners from this district event will advance to represent their schools at the chapter competition in Raleigh later this year. Successful participants there will move on to state-level competitions and potentially compete nationally if they rank among the top four state-level winners.

Byrd expressed gratitude for those involved in organizing the event: “This is a district-wide event that requires planning and collaboration. We are grateful for the coaches, volunteers, agencies, and organizations, particularly Johnston Community College, for helping to provide this for our students.”