Buffalo Grove Student Places in National MathCON Competition

A student from St. Mary School in Buffalo Grove took seventh place in the nation among fifth-graders in the 2016 MathCON competition held recently.

St. Mary fifth-grader Benji Prins competed with over 500 fifth- through 12th-grade finalists in the MathCON National Finals in Chicago held Saturday, April 23. Nearly 45,000 students from 41 states took the initial exam at their schools to attempt to qualify for the MathCON finals.

The MathCON final competition consisted of a challenging 50-question, 70-minute exam without the use of a calculator, focusing on advanced applications of varying math and logic topics.

MathCON was created in 2008, by Concept Schools, which manages 30 science-focused charter schools in the Midwest. MathCON's goal is to engage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) outside of the classroom and encourage more students to enter the STEM fields, which are currently some of the fastest-growing industries in the United States.

For further information, email publicrelations@stmarybg.org.

St Mary School, 50 N. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove, serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mundelein, Vernon Hills and Wheeling. Visit www.sms.stmarybg.org or call (847) 459-6270.