VGCC hosts Regional MATHCOUNTS Competition
A team from Henderson Middle School won the 2011 regional MATHCOUNTS competition for the North Central chapter of North Carolina. Vance-Granville Community College hosted the competition on its main campus on Feb. 12.
A total of 38 middle school students represented six schools from the area, including Butner-Stem Middle School, G.C. Hawley Middle School (Creedmoor), Henderson Middle School, Northern Granville Middle School (Oxford), Northern Middle School (Roxboro) and Vance Charter School (Henderson).
MATHCOUNTS is a national competition program designed to provide middle-school students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers by promoting achievement in math. More than six million students across the country have participated in MATHCOUNTS. Members of the National Society of Professional Engineers provide support and leadership for competitions at the local and state levels. The competition was sponsored locally by Vance-Granville, Piedmont Community College, the Professional Engineers of North Carolina, Progress Energy and Novozymes . VGCC math instructor Rudy Turner served as the official judge for the competition and was among several college faculty and staff members who helped administer the event.
Dr. Randy Parker, the president of VGCC, presented trophies to the teams that placed first, second and third: Henderson Middle, Vance Charter, and G.C. Hawley Middle, respectively. Meanwhile, G.C. Hawley Middle provided the top individual student competitor, or “mathlete,” K.J. Hardie. He was followed in the individual standings by Ryan Burnette of Henderson Middle, Kevin Treacy of Vance Charter, and Joshua Strother of Henderson Middle. The winning team and top four individual students advance to the 28th annual state competition on March 18 at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
President Parker also awarded Hardie a VGCC scholarship, should he decide to attend VGCC after graduating high school. Richard Clayton of Northern Middle received a similar offer from the Piedmont Community College Foundation in recognition of his high score among students from the area served by PCC.
The event concluded as President Parker moderated an unofficial “countdown round,” in which the students with the top scores from the earlier rounds competed against each other. Henderson Middle student Justin Williford won a gift certificate for his victory in that round.
VGCC plans to host the regional competition for the sixth consecutive year on February 11, 2012.
Above: The MATHCOUNTS team from Henderson Middle School won first place at the Feb. 12 competition hosted by VGCC. From left, VGCC President Randy Parker, HMS team member Joshua Strother, coach Tessa Webb-Lewis and team members Julian Hernandez, Justin Williford and Antwan Crudup. (VGCC Photo)
Above: The MATHCOUNTS team from Vance Charter School placed second at the Feb. 12 competition hosted by VGCC. From left, in front, VGCC President Randy Parker and team members Kevin Treacy, Katie Ayscue, Jonathan Williams and Bryce Abbott; from left, in back, coaches Daren Pelkie, Lovi Bacudio and Vickie Bradsher. (VGCC Photo)
Above: The MATHCOUNTS team from G.C. Hawley Middle School came in third at the Feb. 12 competition hosted by VGCC. From left, VGCC President Randy Parker, team members Caydie Hutchinson, Daniel Berrezueta, K.J. Hardie and Chad Weaver, and in back, their coach, Brian Johnson. (VGCC Photo)
Above: From left, VGCC President Randy Parker congratulates the students with the highest scores at the Feb. 12 MATHCOUNTS competition, including G.C. Hawley Middle School student K.J. Hardie (first place), Henderson Middle School student Ryan Burnette (second place), Vance Charter School student Kevin Treacy (third place) and Henderson Middle School student Joshua Strother (fourth place). As the top-scoring “mathlete” from the four counties served by VGCC, Hardie also received a VGCC scholarship. (VGCC Photo)
Above: VGCC President Randy Parker (left) congratulates Henderson Middle School student Justin Williford for winning the Countdown Round at the regional MATHCOUNTS competition. (VGCC Photo)
