MATH TEAM 2008
Building Our Rep
CAPTAIN
SAM BROTHERTON (ARML, State team member)
JACOB KOVAC
VARSITY TEAM MEMBERS
Samantha Allen
Layla Bouzoubaa
Kevin Brawley
Rachael Ceciliani
Daniel Chen
Raymond Clunie (ARML; Mu Alpha Theta Vice-President, State team member)
Jim Creager
Kathryn Daniel
Nika Daryooni
Justin Easley
Ashley Jackson
Jonathan Johnson
(Calculus MVP; ARML)
Kathryn Johnson
Vaidehi Joshi
Nayoon Kim (Mu Alpha Theta President; ARML, State team member)
Sarah Kustick
Rochelle Lobo
Valeska Lobo
Monica Longoria
Will Martin
Kevin Masters
David McCalley
Shalomi Momin
Patti Murphy
Bijal Patel
Kunal Patel
James Rives
Aaron Roberts
Steven Rouk (Advanced Math MVP; ARML, State team member)
Tyler Sigwald
Khaliliah Smith
Edwin White (PreCal MVP; GHP; ARML)
JUNIOR VARSITY TEAM MEMBERS
Amelia Allen
Zineb Bouzoubaa
Julian Hinds
Faustine Li (Algebra MVP)
Kevin Lin
Trevor McCoy
Dayrin Mendez
Mandy Moreno
Lauren Samuels
Sofia Tuttle
Due in large part to this year’s seniors, the Rockdale Magnet Math Team enshrined our reputation as one of the top Math Teams in Georgia. Although each tournament and competition was approached with some trepidation, the students always managed to pull through and continue to be competitive.
Certainly, the ARML veterans, Sam Brotherton and Nayoon Kim, were always vital to the success of the team. But this year, other seniors definitely stepped up. Steven Rouk, who always mathematically adept, applied himself over the summer and became a major force on the math team scene. Raymond Clunie finally took math team seriously his senior year, and also became a player in math competitions. Jacob Kovac developed an interest in mathematical ideas, and his enthusiasm for those ideas spilled over to math team competitions. David McCalley, Tyler Sigwald, Jim Creager, and Will Martin -- all Math Team veterans -- found motivation to increase their mathematical knowledge and competitive edge.
The enthusiasm of the seniors maintained our reputation throughout the state as a competitive Math Team. They have cemented our reputation, and it’s up to future members of Math Team to live up to their example.
LEFT: The third place team at the UGA Math Tournament, October 13, 2007. Left to right: Sam Brotherton, Nayoon Kim, Raymond Clunie. Not pictured: Steven Rouk
This year, the traditions continued: Varsity Letters, MVP awards, and Math Team apparel. One tradition was discontinued, however. The awarding of a Geometry MVP was terminated this year due to the small number (only two!) of Geometry students on the JV team. It is unlikely that the Geometry MVP award will be reinstated, due to the fact that “Math 1” is taught in place of Geometry.
The year started off slowly, but reached the first summit in October at the UGA Math Tournament. Taking an especially difficult multiple-choice test, the students went into the ciphering round feeling beaten. The ciphering round was better than the test, but it didn’t increase the team’s hopes. The final round, the Team Round, went horribly wrong. Of the four questions, the team only answered one correctly. After hearing how many other teams answered two and three, we knew that we didn’t do very well. So sure were the students of this fact, that they begged to just go home. But we stayed, and we were all glad we did: the team of Sam, Nayoon, Steven, and Raymond placed third! They were only beaten by the two teams from Vestavia Hills... so Sam and Raymond immediately claimed we were the first place Georgia team!
The win at UGA was the motivating factor the team needed to ensure success the rest of the year. And the team that did so well at UGA reprised their roles at the State Tournament to much success.
Ironically, the biggest disappointment of the year was like experiencing deja vu. The Rockdale Math Competition was cancelled again due to weather! Unfortunately, notification of the cancellation occurred the morning of the tournament, and some schools that could be reached in time showed up, only to be turned away.
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.
LEFT: In the picture is Steve Sigur, math teacher and ARML coach, at the Georgia Tech Math Tournament, February 23, 2008. Steve had just received an award honoring his many years of dedication to math teams and math education, and was speaking to the audience about the importance of being curious. Current and former members of Georgia ARML surprised him on stage. Pictured behind him are William Drobney, former Georgia ARML star, and Dr. Garner.
After a year battling brain cancer, Steve passed away in July 2008. Raised in Rockdale County in the 1950s, Steve had a special place in his heart for all the members of the Rockdale Magnet Math Team. And those of us that knew Steve sincerely wish he was still here.
September 22, 2007, Soli Deo Gloria Math Tournament, McDonough.
9th place team: Jonathan Johnson (12th place underclassman), Kunal Patel, Aaron Roberts, Edwin White (7th place underclassman, 3rd place ciphering).
September 29, 2007, North Fulton Invitational Math Tournament, Alpharetta.
8th place team: Daniel Chen, Jim Creager, Nayoon Kim, Jacob Kovac, Will Martin, Steven Rouk, Tyler Sigwald, Khaliliah Smith.
October 13, 2007, University of Georgia Mathematics Tournament, Athens.
3rd place team: Sam Brotherton (7th place), Raymond Clunie (27th place), Kathryn Daniel, Justin Easley, Jonathan Johnson, Nayoon Kim (24th place), Jacob Kovac, Kevin Masters, David McCalley, Steven Rouk (8th place), Tyler Sigwald, Edwin White.
October 27, 2007, Cobb County Invitational Math Tournament, Marietta.
9th place JV team: Julian Hinds, Vaidehi Joshi (9th place), Faustine Li, Kevin Lin, Trevor McCoy, Dayrin Mendez.
10th place Varsity team: Layla Bouzoubaa, Daniel Chen, Nika Daryooni, Rochelle Lobo, Valeska Lobo, David McCalley, Steven Rouk, Tyler Sigwald.
November 10, 2007, Mercer University Math Tournament, Macon.
1st place team: Sam Brotherton (1st place and 5th place Ciphering), Kathryn Daniel, Jonathan Johnson (21st place), Jacob Kovac, David McCalley (21st place), Kunal Patel, Steven Rouk (4th place), Khaliliah Smith.
December 1, 2007, Lassiter High School Invitational Math Tournament, Marietta.
14th place JV team: Amelia Allen, Zineb Bouzoubaa, Faustine Li, Kevin Lin, Trevor McCoy, Dayrin Mendez, Mandy Moreno.
5th place Varsity team: Samantha Allen, Sam Brotherton (5th place), Raymond Clunie, Vaidehi Joshi, Nayoon Kim, Kevin Masters, James Rives, Steven Rouk.
February 9, 2008, Cherokee County Saint Valentine’s Day Mathacre, Canton.
2nd place JV team: Amelia Allen, Samantha Allen, Zineb Bouzoubaa, Faustine Li, Kevin Lin, Trevor McCoy, Dayrin Mendez, Sofia Tuttle.
4th place Varsity team: Kevin Brawley, Rachael Ceciliani, Ashley Jackson, Monica Longoria, Patti Murphy, James Rives, Aaron Roberts, Edwin White.
February 12, 2008, AMC
School winner, AMC10A: Trevor McCoy
School winner, AMC12A: Nayoon Kim
February 16, 2008, Armstrong Atlantic State University Math Tournament, Savannah
4th place JV team: Zineb Bouzoubaa, Kevin Lin, Trevor McCoy (9th place), Mandy Moreno.
4th place Varsity team: Raymond Clunie (11th place), Jacob Kovac, David McCalley, Steven Rouk (7th place)
7th place Varsity team: Daniel Chen, Jim Creager, Will Martin, Tyler Sigwald.
17th place Varsity team: Layla Bouzoubaa, Jonathan Johnson (9th place), Sarah Kustick, Patti Murphy.
18th place Varsity team: Kathryn Johnson, Shalomi Momin, Bijal Patel.
February 27, 2008, AMC
School winner, AMC10A: Edwin White
School winner, AMC12A: Sam Brotherton, Nayoon Kim
March 8, 2008, Georgia Southwestern State University Math Tournament, Savannah
1st place Team: Jim Creager, Kathryn Daniel, Nayoon Kim (1st place), Jacob Kovac, James Rives, Aaron Roberts, Steven Rouk (2nd place), Edwin White (3rd place).
March 15, 2008, Greater Atlanta Christian School Math Tournament, Norcross.
1st place Algebra II team: Amelia Allen (Honorable Mention), Julian Hinds, Faustine Li (Honorable Mention), Kevin Lin (13th place), Trevor McCoy (Honorable Mention).
2nd place Comprehensive team: Samantha Allen, Kevin Brawley, Sam Brotherton (6th place), Daniel Chen, Jim Creager, Kathryn Daniel, Justin Easley, Ashley Jackson, Jonathan Johnson, Vaidehi Joshi, Jacob Kovac, Rochelle Lobo, Valeska Lobo, Monica Longoria, Will Martin, David McCalley, Patti Murphy, Steven Rouk (Honorable Mention), Tyler Sigwald.
March 29, 2008, Junior Varsity State Math Tournament, Marietta.
1st place AAAA team,6th overall: Amelia Allen, Jonathan Johnson, Vaidehi Joshi, Faustine Li, Kevin Lin, Trevor McCoy, Aaron Roberts, Edwin White.
April 26, 2008, GCTM Varsity State Mathematics Tournament, Macon.
2nd place team overall and AAAA Champions: Sam Brotherton (17th place), Raymond Clunie, Nayoon Kim (16th place), Steven Rouk (9th place).