Fifth-Graders Repeat As Math Champions

Thu., April 15, 1999

By Kevin Blocker kevinb@spokesman.com

Next year they go for the three-peat.

No, not the Denver Broncos, but the Meadow Ridge Elementary School math team of Cameron Hogue, Joseph Meyer, Nick Peterson and Kyle Gaunt.

The group of fifth-graders just repeated as the Math is Cool Champions. The competition was recently held at Lewis and Clark High School.

Their teacher, Nancy Spencer, coached the team to its first math title when the group was in fifth grade.

Spencer said the competition, which starts at the end of the school day and lasts into the night in LC’s auditorium, is spirited and intense.

“As the night goes on and their parents start coming in and the auditorium fills up, they (students) just get revved up,” Spencer said.

The competition is held for students from 4th through 12th grades.

At the elementary school level, the Mead District has a team from each of its seven schools.

The students tried to simulate game conditions for two months before the beginning of the competition.

“Their rally cry is `three-peat’ now,” Spencer said.

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