ROCK SPRINGS — Western Wyoming Community College (Western) hosted 116 students from nine different schools in the college’s service area for the annual 2023 Southwest Regional Math Contest yesterday in the Rushmore Gym.   

Students in grades 6-12 participated in the competition this year. The event was sponsored by TATA Chemicals and Western’s Mathematics Department. TATA Chemicals covered the costs associated with the event with a generous donation.   

“Tata Chemicals is once again proud to sponsor and support the 2023 Southwest Region State Math Contest.  This is a wonderful event and a great opportunity for students in Southwest Wyoming to test their math skills,”  said David Young, Program Management Officer at Tata Chemicals. “We want to thank Western Wyoming Community College for hosting this event. They do a wonderful job. 

Young also thanked and recognized the teachers who worked with and prepared the students for the event.

Schools in attendance included Green River Lincoln Middle School, Rock Springs High School, Rock Springs Junior High School, Davis Middle School, Evanston High School, Evanston Middle School, Pinedale High School, Rawlins High School, and Saratoga Middle/High School. 

Rock Springs High School took the top scores for Team A (grades 11-12) and Team B (grades 9-10). Rock Springs High School student Natalie Sleight took first individual place in Team A and won a one-year scholarship to Western.   

Team C (grade 8) and Team D (grades 6-7) participants use the competition as an excellent exercise to hone their skills as they prepare to compete in the state-ranked A and B teams in the future.  

“This year, Western hosted many contestants from the Southwest Region. The Math Department is once again delighted to welcome an amazing group of creative problem solvers to our event,” said Lusi Stephens, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Western.  “The persistence, confidence, and creative thinking that these students showcase during the contest is evident when they complete 50 challenging math problems.”

Stephens also said they piloted a successful Team Round. Competitors worked in small teams of up to three students on solving two problems in 20 minutes.

Western professors and Math Contest Co-Chairs Lusi Stephens, Dragan Skropanic, Paul Johnson, and Kaylee Tuttle, led the event though it was a collaborative effort by many others who contributed their time to ensure this event ran smoothly.   

To learn more about events happening on campus visit Western’s calendar at westernwyoming.edu/calendar.

For more information regarding the math contest please contact Lusi Stephens at lstephens@westernwyoming.edu.

For general information regarding Western Wyoming Community College, visit westernwyoming.edu.