Two Tamaqua eighth-graders made it into the semifinals Wednesday during the 2016 Pennsylvania State 24 Challenge Tournament in Harrisburg.
Matthew Zizelmann and Zachery Frie, who were representing Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, scored among the top 16 students in the seventh- and eighth-grade division, according to Vincent Hoover, IU 29 supervisor of mathematics and district support consultant.
About 150 students from 20 intermediate units across the state participated in the mathematics challenge held at the Keystone Building, 400 N. St., Hoover said.
“I competed at the IU before, but this was the first state competition,” Zizelmann, 14, a son of Eric and Christine Zizelmann, said.
The first state 24 Challenge included questions on single digits, double digits and variables.
Variables were Zizelmann’s favorite part of the challenge.
“This was brand new to me,” he said. “During our first and second rounds, some of them (competitors) were quick, but when I got to the semifinal round, that’s when they started answering more quickly.”
He said math and science are his two favorite subjects.
“It definitely improves your thinking, as far as with equations, and helps with your overall thinking skills,” he said of the tournament. “A lot of credit goes to one of my best friends.”
Zizelmann and Frie have been practicing together for the past two years. Both were in the semifinals but did not have to compete against each other during the state tournament.
Frie, 14, a son of James and Melissa Frie, said he enjoyed the double digits portion of the competition.
“It gives you a chance to show your knowledge in math and compete against other people. It wasn’t too hard, and was a fun thing to do,” he said. “It wasn’t as difficult as the variable ones, and it wasn’t like the easier, single digits.”
Cards were placed in front of the students and they had to find an answer that would make the card or cards equal 24. The students had a certain time period in which they had to be the first one to answer correctly.
Seven other students from IU 29 were scheduled to compete at the state level, in addition to Zizelmann and Frie. They included Kendall Earle and Aleczia Britt, Saint Clair Area; Jasmyn Guldin, Daniella Walker and Darren Yost, Pottsville Area; and Alexander Nattress and Harry Swinehart, also of Tamaqua Area.
Students in grades four through eight earned the opportunity to vie for a state title after competing in the 2nd annual Schuylkill IU 29 24 Challenge Tournament in May.
Hoover described the state competition as “fierce.”