On April 12, Lakeville Elementary sent several students to the Division I (kindergarten and first graders) and Division II (second and third grades) Math Pentathlon National Tournament in West Bloomfield – and the school was proud to bring home 12 medal winners from the event.
The Math Pentathlon Tournament is a chance for students to use a broad spectrum of concepts in a competition setting. The students compete in five math games, each game being worth three points, and use skills such as problem-solving, strategy planning, computation, geometry and spacial thinking. Students also need to learn good sportsmanship and how to win or lose graciously.
At the end of the competition, medals are given based on scores. For each game, three points are given for a win, two for a tie and one for a loss. Medals are awarded to those who receive 10 points or more and those with a perfect score of 15 are given the special honor of being listed in the Hall of Fame book. All students receive a certificate of participation and some type of ribbon.
To prepare for the event, the Lakeville students met regularly throughout the school year. They gave up one lunch recess per week to learn the games and strategies necessary for competition – and as a result the Lakeville team has seen multiple winners every year.
This year’s medal winners include:
n Honorable Mentions – Kristen Deighton, Kymber Nelson and Angela Savich.
n Bronze Medals – Zachary Bachner, Dominic Biolchini, Thomas Carroll, Mackenzie Crosson and Steven DeClercq.
n Silver Medals – Tyler Fox, Olivia Grandis and Bruce Wright.
n And Gold Medal Hall of Fame winner Joseph Smith.
‘It wasn’t hard because I’ve been doing it for two years and it went fast,? said Smith, a third grader.
‘The best part was when I got the medal and certificate,? said teammate and first grader Tyler Fox.
‘I liked winning those too,? agreed Grandis.
‘I was afraid I wouldn’t get very far,? said Wright. ‘But I won four games and lost one.?
The other team members who participated that day include first graders Emily Cleland, Madison Eschberger, Ryan Fox, Alyssa Geissler, Tristan Kraus, Wesley McBride, Adam Moore and Alicia Vasquez; second graders Elizabeth Adams, Billy Deeg, Andrew Dutzy, Kevin Dutzy, Jacob Hartwell, Riley Hayes, Ashton Hulbert, Taylor LaMagna, Kristin Malinowski, Ashley McCreery, Jordan Pieczynski, Katie Reed, Ean Riley, Tristen Riley, Courtney Wilkes and Trevor Young; and third graders Zachary Astrino, Audrey Bockart, Jessica Brasington, Heleanna Davison, Brenden Redmond, Nolan Salani and Justin Vincenzetti.
Congratulations to everyone and good luck to the fourth and fifth grade Pentathletes who complete in the Division III tournament on Sat., May 3 in Walled Lake.