The Collinsville High School math team did not qualify for the State Competition, but 15 of the 23 members qualified either individually or in a smaller team.
Members of the Collinsville High School math team / Submitted photo
After qualifying as a team the past three years, the Kahok human calculators this year ran into the mathematical buzz saw that is Carbondale High School. The Terrier team members are routinely enrolled in college level math courses by their sophomore year in high school, Collinsville Math Team Coach Bill Gottschalk said.
With no school of similar size to compete with at the regional they typically host, Carbondale traveled to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to assert their dominance in the Metro East Saturday. As the first place team in the Regional, Carbondale qualified for the State Tournament. Collinsville finished second.
Collinsville did not just roll over for the well-trained Terriers, however. Three sub-teams and one individual went nose-to-nose with Carbondale and qualified for State. Freshman Masen Kane qualified individually by placing second in his class, tied with a Carbondale student. The top three individual scorers in each grade level advance to State. Kane was the only non-Terrier to qualify.
The five-person team that answered 20 questions in 20 minutes, with the use of a high-end graphing calculator, won first place in the Regional to qualify for State. The team consists of senior Graydon Baima, juniors Logan Kirby and Miguel Gonzalez, sophomore Michael Harding, and freshman Alec Votoupal. Teams are required to have at least one student from each grade level.
The junior/senior two-person team tied with Carbondale for first place, to book their ticket to Champaign for the State Tournament on May 3. Seniors Kyle Teshendorf and Alyssa Loyet competed head-to-head with other two-person teams and will return to State, where they finished 5th two years in the freshman/sophomore category of the same contest.
The final group of qualifiers was a freshman/sophomore team that answered 20 questions in 20 minutes, without the use of a calculator, and also tied for first place with Carbondale. Kane, Claire Schussler, Emily Baima, Anna Chambers, Tricia McCann, Courtney Kutey, Jarred Miller, and Jace Plute are members of the team.
Quincy, Triad, Mt. Vernon, Highland and Jacksonville also competed at the Regional.
The CHS math team practices one day per week throughout the school year, but started practicing twice weekly after the Christmas break. Using tests from previous State competitions, Gottschalk worked with students from each grade level Monday through Thursday, and with the full team each Friday. The group will resume practicing one day per week leading up the State Tournament at the University of Illinois.
The Collinsville High School math team roster is:
Freshmen: Masen Kane, Claire Schuessler, Emily Baima, Alec Votoupal, Robert Frisbee, Anna Chambers, Ben Carlson, Kate Fischer, Meghan Kleeb, Kallie Adams, Austin Feig, Tony Maggio and Lauren Carter (the first six listed competed at Regionals).
Sophomores: Jace Plute, Courtney Kutey, Jarred Miller, Michael Harding, Tricia McCann and Katie Loyet (the first five listed competed at Regionals).
Juniors: Logan Kirby, Miguel Gonzalez, Ebby Ross, TJ Tolliver, Ryan Burns, Brandon Martinez, Alicia Bird (the first six listed competed at Regionals).
Seniors: Kyle Teschendorf, Alyssa Loyet, Adam Stowers, Graydon Baima, Logan Moore, Trey Hawk (all six competed at Regionals).
Coach: Bill Gottschalk, 4th year.
