Since 2015, Herrin’s math team has competed in the annual Southwest Math Competition (SWIC). The competition takes place over four Mondays starting in September, with the last day of competition this year on November 3rd.
The Herrin math team came in first again this year, marking an eight-year win streak at the SWIC competition. The final competition day started strong, with Herrin going fifty-seven points ahead. The team then doubled it by the end of the contest by scoring a day score of 109.25 points, leaving them with a total score of 867.25 points.
Three math team members from each grade go to the competition and compete in two different, unique tests. The first competition is an individual test where individuals compete in different subjects. The competitors are given forty minutes to answer fifty questions, which cover any subject matter between Algebra and pre-calculus. In the second competition, they compete in three different teams, with one student from each grade on a team. The team test is open-ended and includes no multiple-choice options. Teams earn five points for every correct answer; however, there is no penalty for incorrect answers.
This year’s seniors who competed have been involved with the win streak for their entire time in high school, making this accomplishment all the more meaningful for them. Senior members Nolan Gentile and Tyler Dodson have competed for the last four years, marking sixteen times they’ve competed at SWIC.
To prepare for this event, the seniors each had their own way, with Nolan Gentile saying he practices with the team every Wednesday, while Tyler Dodson had a more unique routine of “Take a nap on the bus and eat Chick-fil-A.” The members’ unique way of prepping clearly paid off, leading them to their eighth win at SWIC.
Senior Nolan Gentile said, “It makes me feel good to win and keep up their [former juniors and seniors] success.”
Sophomore Nathan Jones agrees, saying that he hopes to stay consistent in his work and to continue his now two-year first-place streak going into his junior and senior years.
With the end of this year’s competition, the math team now prepares for upcoming competitions to keep their winning streak going.
