Tiger Z. '25 Wins 1st Place and Brings Home Gold for Team USA

Tiger was selected as one of six students to join Team USA, headed to Bucharest, Romania, for the 15^th annual Romanian Master of Mathematics (RMM) competition. The invitation itself was a remarkable honor and a testament to Tiger's dedication and skill in mathematics. The rigorous selection process for Team USA involved performance assessments in various math competitions like the Math Olympiad Program, American Mathematics Competition, American Invitational Mathematics Examination, and USA Math Olympiad. It is no easy feat to earn an invitation from Team USA to the RMM. With math competitors across the nation studying arduously for years to advance, pushing and challenging each other—including dozens at Sierra Canyon—Tiger's love of, and immersion in, the world of mathematics has led him to reach the upper echelons of young mathematicians who might be the future of the field.

The competition comprised two intense days of problem-solving, with 4.5 hours of competition time each day and three questions daily. Tiger's exceptional performance saw him tie for 1^st place with the top student from Hungary in the Individuals category, earning a Gold medal and contributing to Team USA's overall success. Their victory over 2^nd place Team China by 2 points and 3^rd place Team Romania by 12 points was a testament to their collective effort, securing 1^st place in the Teams category. Amidst 80 competitors from around the world, Tiger celebrated not only his success but also the accomplishments of his teammates and Team USA as a whole.

In the days leading up to the competition in Bucharest, Team USA had lunch with Team Israel and engaged with students from other nations. They participated in activities and competitive math events hosted by Jane Street, a capital marketing company known for hiring mathematicians. Following the competition, Tiger and his team had the chance to tour old Romanian castles and learn more about local history, spending time with Team United Kingdom and befriending rivals who will surely be colleagues in the field of mathematics when they get older. Reflecting on his experience, Tiger remarked, "I really enjoyed meeting other students. We talked about life in their countries, the differences in math educations, and how teams were picked for RMM and other international contests."

Now back at Sierra Canyon, Tiger is looking forward to the upcoming Cal State Long Beach, UC San Deigo, and Stanford competitions this semester with the Upper School Varsity Math Team.

Congratulations to this true blue Trailblazer! The School is incredibly proud of your achievements and looks forward to witnessing your continued success.