MSMS held its annual Math Tournament at the Trotter Convention Center in downtown Columbus on Feb. 23. All MSMS students were excused from school to help run this tournament. Nearly 600 students from 18 different schools across the state of Mississippi participated in this competition. These students completed written tests and ciphering in various subject areas such as Algebra I, Algebra 2, Geometry, Trig/Pre-Cal and Calculus. In addition, they could also participate in the Potpourri and Interschool team competitions. Although weather conditions forced many schools to leave before the awards ceremony, the event was archived so that schools could view later.

Shae Koenigsberger, a member of the MSMS math faculty who helped organize this tournament, said, “It is embedded in our MSMS mission statement that we outreach to other students, therefore we feel that this is a great opportunity to students to come together and for us to outreach to other schools.”

Madison Central High School Senior Zac Bailey, who has competed in the MSMS Math Tournament for the last couple of years and placed first in the Calculus written test, said, “It was very well put together and organized. It adapted well to the imposing weather conditions, especially by supplying the very convenient live stream of the awards ceremony. All the same, it maintained a very competitive environment and it was a lot of fun to see fellow math enthusiasts actors the state.”

He continued, “Also, I was glad to get to come back to MSMS one last time and compete after last year’s cancellation. I feared another cancellation, but MSMS really pulled through for every school across the state.”

MSMS Senior Cole Borek who was committee head for the Trig/Pre-Cal area, said, “As it was my first math tournament, I was not sure what to expect. However, everything went very smoothly. It was nice to be able to help with an event that allows students from across the state who love math to compete against each other.”

The overall winner of the 2016 MSMS Math Tournament was Madison Central High School.

List of participating schools:
Aberdeen High School

Amory High School
Jackson Preparatory School
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
Pontotoc High School
Grenada High School
Jackson Academy
Pisgah High School
Northwest Rankin High School
Neshoba Central High School
Madison Central High School
Heritage Academy
Quitman High School
Ridgeland High School
Eupora High School
Winona High School

Oxford High School
East Side High School

To watch the awards ceremony, click the link below: http://www.themsms.org/whats-new-at-msms/2016/2/23/watch-msms-mu-alpha-theta-math-tournament-results-live.