MHS team places third

Marion High School senior Patrick Hodson placed first individually among seniors and overall in the fifth annual MC2: McPherson College Math Competition on Feb. 23. The MHS team placed third overall.

More than 400 students from 23 high schools competed in the event. It was divided into two portions: an individual exam and a team competition.

In the team competition, teams were given 10 questions, one at a time, and team members could confer on their answer. They had three minutes to complete each question, and teams were scored dependent on whether they correctly answered it in the first, second, or third minute.

Team members Hodson, Landon Leiker, Dane Purkeypile, and Derek Stuchlik combined to finish in third place, behind Newton and McPherson high schools. All four members are seniors.

“They did very well,” sponsor Gary Stuchlik said.

Benefits of the competition include the opportunity for students to challenge themselves and see how they compare to students from other schools, he said. Visiting a college campus is also a good experience for high school seniors, he added.

Goessel High School junior Jeff Hall placed second in his division.