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Upper School Math Team Earns 2nd Place at Princeton

Congratulations to Sierra Canyon’s Math Team for earning their highest place to date at the Princeton University Mathematics Competition! 

The Team placed 2nd in their division. Their achievement was fueled by staunch determination during the weeklong Power Round, savvy group effort in the timed Team Round, and great individual performances in the various components of the contest. Our team was represented by captain Phillip Miao ’22, Alex Bai ’24, Dylan Ochoa ’24, Otto Rahmel ’22, Wendy Wang ’23, Frank Yuan ’24, Tiger Zhang ’25, and Shuming Zhao ’23. With few competitions remaining in the 2021-2022 school year, the Princeton competition was a resounding success and something the graduating seniors will never forget. The Team placed 20th in 2018, 15th in 2019, and 5th in 2020. 
 
The heaviest part of the competition is the infamous Power Round. Teams are given seven days to solve, and complete proofs for advanced theorems and provided definitions of concepts that were novel to them. The Team had to construct their understanding of topological spaces coupled with linear algebra based on the definitions provided and then demonstrate results involving convex bodies and mixed volumes using the topological properties they proved. An enormous amount of time went into the project, as the Math Team members worked assiduously throughout the week, being excused from their classes to dedicate themselves fully to this daunting and intellectually enriching task. The result was a 53-page document submitted, dense with math writing and proofs, that not only earned our team 2nd place in our division but beat out dozens of teams in the Elite Division above SC! Sierra Canyon earned 11th place over all teams—many of which are regional and international teams not limited to schools—in the Power Round. The work our students put in was one of the most formative educational experiences they have had, and it primes them well for a university education in math.
 
The Princeton contest organizers also recognized some individual performances during the awards ceremony. Phillip Miao earned 1st place in the Geometry Round among 107 competitors in our division, while Tiger Zhang earned 8th. Phillip also earned 10th place in the Algebra Round. Alex Bai earned 17th in Number Theory and 22nd in Combinatorics. In total ranking among individuals, Tiger took 7th place overall in our division, and Phillip took 9th. The whole team contributed to our school’s sum score, and every competitor should be lauded for their additions to the Sierra Canyon victory. Congratulations to all!
Lower School: 11052 Independence Avenue
Middle and Upper School: 20801 Rinaldi Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311  | 818.882.8121
Sierra Canyon School is a private, independent, non-sectarian, co-educational, college preparatory school for students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 located in Chatsworth, California. The highly cosmopolitan campus community is reflective of the Greater Los Angeles area and the world at large. Students are empowered to realize their greatest creative, ethical, intellectual and physical promise through small class sizes, a diverse student-teacher culture and a family-like environment.