It’s that time of year again when mathletes across the state dusted off their calculators and sharpened their pencils for the ultimate showdown: the state math competition. On April 22, the Hoffman Estates Math Team headed over to Illinois State University to compete against the best and brightest mathematicians of the state.

“It’s really been something else this year,” said Devanshu Pandya, junior. Pandya said this year’s season was especially memorable because for the last two years state competition was held online instead of at UIUC due to Covid-19.

“This year we had the opportunity to go to ISU, and it was really a team bonding experience for everyone, even the upperclassman,” said Pandya. 

It is not just the upperclassmen that have had a strong season and have built stronger bonds with one another.

“My favorite part of being a part of the team is the good sense of unity and community that comes from everyone willing to challenge ourselves to exceed expectations,” said Iasmina Kovieva, freshman. 

In fact it seems that nearly everyone on the team, when asked, shared the same sentiments.

“The team environment is very welcoming and supportive. We all try to learn from each other and support each other to do our best at every meet,” said Ananya Krishnan, sophomore. “Within any team, it’s important to maintain a relaxed environment where everyone feels comfortable to express themselves, and I think that’s something our team does really well.

“Over the last 7 months, we’ve come to know each other well and everyone gives their best every time we compete. I’m super excited to see what next year brings!” Krishnan continued.

The team’s sense of unity and teamwork helped them to push through the competitiveness of ISU. The freshman, Svar Pandya, placed 10th in overall individual competition out of hundreds of top students. Yet, when asked about what he most enjoyed during the state competition, he focused on more than just himself.

“My favorite part of the meet was exploring the campus and challenging myself to do well for the team,” said Pandya. “The events were especially challenging the team culture made it so much easier to pull through and overall a good experience.”

In the world of mathematics, success is measured not only by numbers but the determination and grit to reach the top. The team also finished off the year with multiple shiny medals to take home.