EFC Engineers & Architects, the principal organizer of the annual competition in the CNMI, will no longer sponsor it.
Martha Camacho, chapter and state MATHCOUNTS coordinator, said the national competition is “tough and hard” but she is optimistic that the local mathletes will be equal to the challenge.
“These kids have been improving every year,” she said.
The top four students were Hyeon Joon Jun of Saipan International School; Ji Hon Choi, Calvary Christian Academy; Hye Young Oh, Marianas Baptist Academy; and Feng Liang Lizama, Mount Carmel School.
Camacho said the top four students along with the top team coach will be sent to Florida on May 8.
Saturday’s competition drew the participation of 95 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades from 12 public and private schools on Saipan and Tinian.
Efraim F. Camacho, EFC Engineers & Architects president, said this year’s competition will be the last organized and sponsored by his company.
“I have placed EFC engineers & Architects on an inactive status. Not closed just not active so that I can help the CNMI. I feel that the CNMI needs my time at this very serious economic time. The 2009 will be the last MATHCOUNTS as sponsored and organized by EFC Engineers & Architects,” said Camacho, the current Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director.
Mr. Camacho said his company started the program in 1994 and a total of 64 CNMI students, including the winners of this year, went to the states to compete nationally.
This year’s national MATHCOUNTS will be held at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Florida.
In his farewell message to the students, Mr. Camacho commended the EFC Engineers & Architects staff and sponsors of the competition, saying they spent a lot of time in preparing the competition for the past 15 years.
“They all do it without any form of payment,” he said.
The top 10 mathletes on Saturday were Hyeon Joon Jun of Saipan International School with a score of 27; Ji Hon Choi, Calvary Christian Academy, 25; Hye Young Oh, Marianas Baptist Academy, 22; Feng Liang Lizama, Mount Carmel School, 21; Min Jeong Jang, Calvary Christian Academy, 19; Se Young Hwang, Marianas Baptist Academy, 19; Han Sol Yu, Calvary Christian Academy, 18; Won Woo Choi, Calvary Christian Academy, 17; Young Eun Lee, Marianas Baptist Academy, 17; and Kevin Hwang, Calvary Christian Academy, 17.
The top four teams were Calvary Christian Academy, 27.75 points; Marianas Baptist Academy “A,” 24.5; Saipan International School “A,” 23; and Mount Carmel School “A,” 17.25.
Hyeon Joon Jun of Saipan International School “A” was given an award for garnering the highest score in the overall individual category.
Mr. Camacho said MATHCOUNTS is a non-profit organization founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers, the he National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the CNA Foundation.
The national sponsors are Raytheon Company, Northrop Grumman Foundation, National Society of Professional Engineers, CNA Foundation, ConocoPhillips, General Motors Foundation, Lockhead Martin, 3M Foundation and Texas Instruments Inc.
The local sponsors are EFC Engineers & Architects, DFS Saipan, Chong’s Corporation, IT&E, Subway, Coca Cola Beverage Co., Foremost, Joeten Charitable Foundation, Deloitte & Touche, National Office Supply, Hanam Market, Dolphin Wholesale, Marianas Star, Korea Hardware, Garapan Market, Tae Wo and Yonsei Academy.
The organizers also thanked the Mount Carmel National Honor Society members for helping correct the test materials.
