Area Students Win West River Math Contest at South Dakota Mines
South Dakota Mines hosted the 72nd annual West River Math Contest on Monday, May 8. In total, 562 middle and high school students from across the region attended the annual contest that includes exams in Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Advanced Math, and Master’s categories. The exams were created and scored by math professors at Mines. Thirty-four schools came from western South Dakota as well as northwest Nebraska. Free lunches were provided to all participants thanks to donations from the most recent Raising for Rockers fundraising event.
The top five contestants in each category went home with awards. The top schools were also awarded the Julie J. Dahl Award for Best Team Performance. The 2024 overall team winners were St. Thomas More in Class B and Scottsbluff High School in Class A.
Mines has held the contest since 1950. University President Jim Rankin, PhD PE, took part in the event as a student in Ft. Pierre before he entered college. “Congratulations to all of the winners and participants who took part in this year’s event,” says Rankin. “Whether they won awards or not, everyone has what it takes to be the future problem solvers and STEM innovators who will tackle the world’s most pressing issues.”
Next year’s West River Math Contest is slated for May 12, 2025.
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About South Dakota Mines
Founded in 1885, South Dakota Mines is one of the nation’s leading engineering, science and technology universities. South Dakota Mines offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees and a best-in-class education at an affordable price. The university enrolls 2,493 students with an average class size of 24. The South Dakota Mines placement rate for graduates is 97 percent, with an average starting salary of $70,036. For these reasons, South Dakota Mines is ranked among the best engineering schools in the country for return on investment. Find us online at www.sdsmt.edu and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat.