Congratulations to the student math teams from Dirksen, Gompers, Hufford, and Washington Junior High Schools who joined three other local junior high school teams to compete in the 23rd annual Joliet West High School Mid High Math Meet. Students were judged on topics including laws of exponents, linear equations, lowest terms, polygons, probability, and Pythagorean theorem. They also competed in collaborative group competitions.
Washington Academy students David Diaz, Natalie Heimer, William Leonard, Alexa Marthos won second place for the seventh-grade group and students Morgan Thomas, Adelyn Urbanczyk, and Julia Yanchick won second place for the eighth-grade group.
In addition, Washington students Emily Feit, Ivan Gonzalez, Evanyse Ortega, Matias Rosales, and Leigha Winfield won second place for the eighth-grade polygons competition while Xavier Esparza, Emily Feit, Rubi Rodriguez, Morgan Thomas, and Leigha Winfield won second place for eighth grade probability. Ivan Gonzalez, Matias Rosales, Adelyn Urbanczyk, and Julia Yanchick received second place ribbons for Pythagorean Theorem.
The Washington Junior High Academy students also received the third-place trophy for overall team. Students on the team included David Diaz, Emily Feit, Ivan Gonzalez, Eileen Hattan, Natalie Heimer, Alexander Kourtidis, Jonathan Landeros, William Leonard, Leonardo Magana, Alexa Marthos, Evanyse Ortega, Rubi Rodriguez, Matias Rosales, Tyler Semplinski, Tristian Sykes, Morgan Thomas, Adelyn Urbanczyk, Leigha Winfield, and Julia Yanchick.
A student team consisting of Dirksen Junior High students Jitzel Cabellero, Gabriel Medrano, Valeria Valerio Zarate, and Lillian Wilhelmi tied for second place for seventh-grade Law of Exponents and Evelyn Guzman, Jacob Romero, Izabella Sanchez, Samuel Sunda, and Valeria Valerio Zarate received third place ribbons for seventh-grade linear equations. Gompers students Laura Banaca, Jorge Guzman, Benjamin Moreno, Alejandra Ochoa, Melanie Ortega, and Mayle Torres Reyes placed second for seventh-grade lowest terms and eighth-grade students Claudia James, Alexandra Lopez, Jesslyn Macias, and Kaylie Sims tied for third place for probability.
Hufford students Jonathan Alvarez-Alvarado, Arcangel Bracho, Carlos Cruz, Ben McNally and Alesiram Padilla Huerta received third place ribbons for seventh grade laws of exponents and students David Aguirre, Jonathan Alvarez-Alvarado, Gabriel Duran, and Xavier Granda tied with Dirksen for third place seventh grade group recognition.
“Our junior high students did a great job,” said Joliet Public Schools District 86 Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse, “We cannot thank the Joliet West High School students and teachers enough for organizing this annual competition.”
The Joliet District 86 club sponsors included Dirksen Junior High teachers Benjamin Mancera Moreno and Jaculin Taylor, Hufford teachers Tracey Kupiec and Kelly Wagner, Gompers teachers Jessica Pasquale and Christine Reed and Washington teacher Caris Duda and Kyle Rusco.