A record number of Bigfork High School students competed in this year’s Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics regional contest, and their efforts added up to Bigfork’s best performance in years.  

Bigfork placed third as a team for grades 11 and 12, which is the highest team finish in Bigfork’s competition history, according to math teacher and team adviser Josh Feller.  

Senior Triston Feller placed first and received a $500 scholarship. He advanced to compete at the state level. Senior Madeline Pomeroy placed third.  

The contest tests students on core math standards and features three sections: a multiple-choice test, a numerical response test and a group test. Students have 30 minutes to complete each of these. 

High scorers at the regional level advance to a state competition. Bigfork competes in the Kalispell region contest, which was held at Flathead Valley Community College on March 19. 

The contest also awards scholarships to the top high school senior scorers. At the regional level, a $500 and a $300 scholarship are on the line. 

Other notable top finishers from Bigfork included junior Rye Peterson who placed 18th in the 11th to 12th grade division out of 89 total students. Sophomore Payton DeSpain placed 15th and freshman Madeline Thorsen placed 22nd in the 9th to 10th grade division out of 126 students.  

Pomeroy always loved math in school and jumped at the opportunity to utilize the equations and theories she learned in her classes. She said the team portion of the contest was a highlight and allowed students to work together to solve complex questions. 

“The fun part about the team contest is when one person is unsure of the answer, they can ask another person to double check them, and that’s why we placed extremely well with our team test,” she said.  

A record 24 students competed for Bigfork after the contest was postponed a week due to weather. According to Feller, the contest normally conflicts with the state basketball tournament. With the postponement, many of the basketball players, cheerleaders and band members who are normally on the court were able to flex their numerical chops as well. 

Teachers nominate students to participate in the math contest, but it’s up to the competitors to take initiative in the preparation process. Feller said many students will use their lunch time to take practice tests in the time leading up to the contest. 

“We haven't had a first or second place overall in a long time,” he said. “To have two students in the top three was pretty cool. It just shows the level of math students we have at our school.” 

According to Pomeroy, the math contest is more fun than most people would imagine and is a chance to “use the math skills you joke about never getting to use in real life.”

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.