Give Peter Bian a math problem and the 14-year-old likely can solve it in a matter of seconds - literally.
The Sonoran Science Academy eighth-grader was one of 140 Tucson-area middle-school students taking part in the MathCounts competition at Cienega High School Saturday.
The MathCounts program promotes math achievement with all the challenges and excitement of a school sporting event.
Elijah Ramirez, an eighth-grader at Rincon Vista Middle School, found the competition as challenging as the football and basketball games he plays in.
"It's not physical but it is harder on your brain," he said. "It's really draining too."
The students were tested primarily on algebra and geometry problems.
Portions of the competition consisted of written tests, but the highlight was the countdown round.
People are also reading…
In that phase, the top 10 students with the highest scores from the tests earlier in the day face off.
They are presented with a math problem and have 45 seconds to buzz in with a response.
Bian, who was ranked No. 1, went up against Katy Muhlrad who was in fifth place.
In one instance, he was able to buzz in with a correct answer only four seconds after being presented with the math problem.
While most would argue that Bian has a gift, he insists it is something that he has put many study hours into.
"Finding the answer doesn't so much matter to me," Bian said. "What I like is finding the solution - there are thousands of ways you can get there."
Seventeen schools participated in this regional competition. The top school - Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson, and the top two individual students who do not attend the top school - Sam Wilson and Harrison Hanzlick, both of Alice Vail Middle School - will advance to the state competition in March.
On StarNet: Go to this article at azstarnet.com/news/local/ education to see the names of all of the top-ranking students and a photo gallery from the competition.
Why I like math
• "Well, it might be that I'm just really good at it," said Sloan Kanaski, a sixth-grader at Sonoran Science Academy. He estimated he spent 11 1/2 hours a week preparing for the MathCounts competition.
• "It challenges you to solve problems in different ways and sometimes they are not ways that you would think of," said Elijah Ramirez, an eighth-grader at Rincon Vista Middle School.
• "It's really fun," said Micah Scholes, an eighth-grader at Emily Gray Junior High School. "I like learning new ways to solve problems and the satisfaction that comes with it."
Top Five Teams
1. Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
2. Alice Vail Middle School
3. Rincon Vista Middle School
4. Coronado K-8
5. Sonoran Science Academy - Broadway
Top Students
1. Peter Bian, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
2. Katy Muhlrad, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
3. Sloan Kanaski, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
4. Sam Wilson, Alice Vail Middle School
5. Harrison Hanzlick, Alice Vail Middle School
6. Aimee Askira, BASIS Tucson Middle School
7. David Wang, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
8. Micah Scholes, Emily Gray Junior High School
9. Arrick Benson, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
10. James Parisi, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
11. Matt Parker, Rincon Vista Middle School
12. Alex Fisher, Alice Vail Middle School
13. Nick Varin, Emily Gray Junior High School
14. Isaac Rosado, Alice Vail Middle School
15. Alonso Huizar, Rincon Vista Middle School
16. Tristan Schrader, Coronado K-8
17. Nadia Fesz-Nguyen, Coronado K-8
18. Elijah Ramirez, Rincon Vista Middle School
19. Sarina White, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
20. Chris Cushman, Sonoran Science Academy - Tucson
21. Grant Emmerdorfer, BASIS Tucson Middle School
22. Benjy Duggan, Coronado K-8
23. Nik Masterson, Alice Vail Middle School
24. Nick Thomson, Wilson K-8 School
25. John Cherrington, Coronado K-8
26. Anna Zeng, Wilson K-8 School
27. Cody Hybiak, Rincon Vista Middle School
