Appalachian State University recently hosted the eighth annual High Country MathCounts competition

Appalachian State University recently hosted the eighth annual High Country MathCounts competition, bringing together more than 80 of Watauga County Schools' fastest math students from 10 different schools in Watauga and Avery counties.

The students had been practicing for months leading up to the competition, which challenged them with various types of math problems to hone their critical thinking skills and learn advanced math in middle school. Parkway School emerged as the overall team champion, with Hardin Park in second place and Parkway's second team in third place. In the individual competition, Keith Tu of Parkway took first place, followed by Ike Mance and Grace Young, both from Parkway as well. The event was organized by Watauga County School Assistant Superintendent Dr. Stephen Martin, with the help of ASU professor Dr. Erica Slate and retired engineer David Phipps. Martin expressed pride in all the students who participated, saying the event was a joy to organize and a collaborative effort between various stakeholders.