MATH TEAM 2003

A New Look and a New Rep

CAPTAIN
MITCH COSTLEY (PreCal MVP; ARML, State team member)

VARSITY TEAM MEMBERS

Kenny Baskett (Calculus MVP; GHP, State team member) Max Bernardy Amanda Dugan Kylene Farmer Nathan Garcia Justin Gilstrap Luke Hotchkiss Amin Makhani (State team member) Garett McLaurin C.K. Newman Robert Parr Trent Phillips John Powell Jon Skypek Frankie Snavely Ben Wu (ARML, State team member) Jodie Wu Drew Yaun

JUNIOR VARSITY TEAM MEMBERS

John Barnett James Bascle Alicia Bellis Eryn Bernardy William Brawley Erin Gorman Alex Hamilton Kayla Koch Julie Leber Salman Makhani (Geometry MVP) Kathryn Moore Bre’Ana Paige J.P. Pugh Lacy Reynolds Dion Roseberry Britt Schneider Kevin Todd (Algebra MVP) Jeremy Wilkerson Jonathan Wysolovski

When the 2002-2003 school year started, the Math Team got a new look. This year began the tradition of Math Team clothes that continues today. At the time, the only clothes available were red polo shirts, with our logo embroidered over the chest.

Our logo -- an intertwined infinity and pi -- was designed by J. P. Pugh in a moment of inspiration, and has been used ever since.

Although the team was unexpectedly invited to the 2002 GCTM Varsity State Tournament last year (where we placed 33rd out of 36), this year we played the season hoping to be invited. Our hopes were not in vain, and so we began another tradition of state championships.

Dr. Garner’s knowledge of high school math tournaments began to expand which led to the team attending more competitions. As a result, our students had impressive individual records that were noticed by the Georgia ARML coaches. Thus, Rockdale Magnet students joined the Georgia ARML team for the first time: Mitch Costley and Ben Wu.

We also had our first team member attend GHP for mathematics: Kenny Baskett. Each year since, someone from the Math Team has been selected to go to GHP every summer.

This year also brought with it the introduction of AP Calculus BC at Rockdale Magnet. This implied that a new level of individual recognition be added to the Math Team awards at the Magnet Banquet: a Calculus MVP. The recipient of the Calculus MVP award earns a bust of Isaac Newton.

This Banquet was also the first in which Varsity Letters were awarded. There were some surprised faces when the letters were revealed as colored red, the color of athletic letters at RCHS. Most non-athletic letters are colored black, and most wondered how the Math Team obtained red letters. There was no grand conspiracy at work. It was something much more mundane: when the letters were ordered, the company that made the letters assumed they were red!

LEFT: A picture in the bus on the ride over to the Vestavia Hills Tournament in Vestavia Hills Alabama, December 6, 2002. Left to Right: Kathryn Moore, Jonathan Wysolovski (back to camera), Amin Makhani, Lacy Reynolds, James Bascle

RIGHT: In the Vestavia Hills High School Gym for ciphering, December 7, 2002. Left to Right: J. P. Pugh (with hat), Kevin Todd, Alicia Bellis, Bre’Ana Paige

This year’s trip to Savannah for the Armstrong Atlantic State Tournament was just as eventful as last year’s. Deciding to hire a chartered bus, we were excited to leave at the scheduled time of 2:30 PM. However, by 3:00, the bus had not arrived. Calling the charter company, we discovered that the bus company had overlooked booking us! So at the last minute, the charter company found a bus and driver for us -- but they didn’t arrive until 6:00! (The charter company bought pizzas for all of us to help make up for the mistake.) By the time we arrived in Savannah at 10:00 that evening, we were all tired and anxious to get to our rooms. But when we got to the hotel, they had given all out rooms away! The only rooms they had we three that were under repairs, and we took them since we didn’t really have a choice. (It’s never a good idea to have nine teenage boys try to share a three-bed hotel room!) Luckily, the tournament turned out well, and no one got sick!

Below you will find our record of placements at the few tournaments the Math Team attended that school year. Team awards are listed first, with individual awards listed after the team member’s name.

October 26, 2002, University of Georgia Math Tournament, Athens.

9th place team: Mitch Costley, Luke Hotchkiss, Garett McLaurin, Ben Wu.

November 9, 2002, Mercer University Math Tournament, Macon.

6th place team: Kenny Baskett, Mitch Costley, Amin Makhani, Kathryn Moore, J. P. Pugh, Lacy Reynolds, Kevin Todd, Ben Wu (9th place).

December 7, 2002, Vestavia Hills High School Math Tournament, Vestavia Hills.

10th place Geometry team: John Barnett, Julie Leber, Salman Makhani, Dion Roseberry, Britt Schneider.

7th place Algebra II team: James Bascle, Alicia Bellis, William Brawley, Kathryn Moore, Bre’Ana Paige, J. P. Pugh, Lacy Reynolds, Kevin Todd, Jonathan Wysolovski.

7th place Comprehensive team: Kenny Baskett, Max Bernardy, Mitch Costley, Amanda Dugan, Kylene Farmer, Justin Gilstrap, Luke Hotchkiss, Amin Makhani, C. K. Newman, Ben Wu, Jodie Wu, Drew Yaun.

February 15, 2003, Armstrong Atlantic State University Math Tournament, Savannah.

3rd place JV Team: Kayla Koch, Salman Makhani, Kathryn Moore, Kevin Todd

5th place JV Team: William Brawley, Alex Hamilton, Julie Leber, J. P. Pugh.

4th place Varsity Team: Max Bernardy, Justin Gilstrap, Jodie Wu, Drew Yaun.

5th place Varsity Team: Mitch Costley, Garett McLaurin, Frankie Snavely, Ben Wu (1st place 10th grader)

February 22, 2003, Cobb County Invitational Math Tournament, Marietta.

8th place JV team: William Brawley, Erin Gorman, Alex Hamilton, Bre’Ana Paige, Lacy Reynolds, Kevin Todd, Jeremy Wilkerson, Jonathan Wysolovski (10th place JV).

7th place Varsity team: Kenny Baskett, Max Bernardy, Mitch Costley, Amanda Dugan, Amin Makhani, Garett McLaurin, C. K. Newman, Frankie Snavely.

February 11, 2003, AMC

School winner, AMC10: Ben Wu

School winner, AMC12: Kendra Heisner, Drew Keenan

March 1, 2003, Georgia Southwestern State University Math Tournament, Americus.

1st place 4A team: Kenny Baskett (2nd place), Mitch Costley (1st place), Amanda Dugan, Amin Makhani (3rd place), Kathryn Moore, Trent Phillips, John Powell, Drew Yaun.

March 29, 2003, Greater Atlanta Christian School Math Tournament, Norcross.

9th place Geometry team: John Barnett, Julie Leber, Salman Makhani, Dion Roseberry.

5th place Algebra II team: James Bascle, Alicia Bellis, Eryn Bernardy, William Brawley, Erin Gorman, Kayla Koch, Kathryn Moore, Lacy Reynolds, Bein Todd, Jeremy Wilkerson, Jonathan Wysolovski.

3rd place Comprehensive team: Kenny Baskett (10th place Comprehensive), Max Bernardy, Mitch Costely, Amanda Dugan, Nathan Garcia, Justin Gilstrap, Luke Hotchkiss, Amin Makhani (10th place Comprehensive), Robert Parr, John Powell, Frankie Snavely, Ben Wu (3rd place Comprehensive), Jodie Wu, Drew Yaun.

April 12, 2003, Junior Varsity State Math Tournament, College Park.

1st place 4A team (2nd place Overall): Max Bernardy (2nd place), Mitch Costley (1st place), Kathryn Moore, J. P. Pugh, Frankie Snavely, Kevin Todd (7th place), Ben Wu (3rd place), Jonathan Wysolovski.

April 26, 2003, GCTM Varsiry State Math Tournament, Macon.

1st place 4A team (4th place Overall): Kenny Baskett, Mitch Costley, Amin Makhani, Ben Wu.