Math Masters is a program that has students participate in both individual and team competitions on a variety of math topics, encouraging both critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

“It’s a very cool opportunity, because when we have kids who excel in math, there are often not a lot of opportunities for them to really push themselves and then also be recognized for it,” Tracy Area Public School fifth and sixth grade math teacher Brittany Peterson said. “This is a chance for them to come and (embrace themselves) … The fact that they do individual awards lets them just go for it, and they can be recognized by themselves and also working as a team.”

This year’s Math Masters had a record-breaking attendance number, coordinator and SMSU Professor of Mathematics Heather Moreland noted, with 267 registered students that made the trip over to Marshall.

The event also invites spectators, such as family members, to attend and watch the students work from the track above that surrounds the PE Gym. Moreland and SMSU’s Monica Miller, of the Department of Science and Mathematics Program, both mentioned the spectator crowd was possibly the largest they have seen as well, as the event continues to see growth.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Jonah Paulzine of Murray County Central competes at the Math Masters event at Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday morning in Marshall. This year's event saw a record-breaking 267 students.

The students started the competition off with a fact drill, followed by individual rounds. The team competitions were the final tests of the day.

“They have a fact drill, which is just basically order of operations arithmetic. Then, there are three individual rounds. Problems involve, some based on grade levels, statistics, some logical reasoning, fractions, decimals, time and measurement, all of those kinds of things,” Moreland said. “There’s also a tiebreaker, an individual round for breaking the ties, then there are three team rounds.”

Following the competition, students are also awarded with award plaques, medallions and ribbons.

“It’s just fun for them to be recognized. This Math Masters is an opportunity for that to happen … In our everyday school life, they don’t really get a chance to do that,” Peterson said. “I’m so happy and grateful that we keep doing it, and I love that it is well attended, because it makes it relevant for the kids. They’re like, ‘Oh, geez, this is kind of a big deal.'”

Stanger, SMSU’s Mustang mascot, also helps with handing out awards to the students, which raises the day’s excitement even more.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students compete at the Math Masters event at Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday morning in Marshall. This year's event saw a record-breaking 267 students.

There was an impressive 16 school districts in attendance this year: Tracy, Murray County Central, Dawson-Boyd, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Hancock, Windom, Worthington, Southwest Christian, MACCRAY, Renville County West, Round Lake, Sleepy Eye, Redwood Valley, Springfield, Adrian and Faribault.

“If it’s their (student’s) first time, they are floored by how many other kids are here,” Peterson said. “It’s like, ‘No, you’re not the only (one) who likes math,’ and it makes them feel a sense of belonging … There’s a whole community of you.”

While Moreland and Miller noted this is one of their favorite days of the school year, the gym was also flooded with an array of colors. Fourth graders were sporting yellow shirts, while fifth was in red and sixth grade represented blue.

“I love the colors with their T-shirts on, and I love that it’s packed. This is my 19th year in education … And I have to tell you, there’s something about however many hundreds of kids are in this gym right now, and having them working so hard that you can hear a pin drop, it is cool,” Peterson said. “(There is) something a little bit cool about that many kids (being) super focused and engaged all at the same time.”

Peterson cited that Math Masters also helps to build confidence and camaraderie with the students, and is an opportunity for them to be brave and talk with peers from other schools.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Bodin Miller of Murray County Central competes at the Math Masters event at Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday morning in Marshall. This year's event saw a record-breaking 267 students.

Math Masters in the Marshall area has been going on for nearly 10 years, and also helps with supporting future educational events.

“The other wonderful thing … Is that Math Masters provides a stipend for the coordinators, which would be me,” Moreland said. “We turn these funds around, and it funds the STEM Symposium, which benefits SMSU and the larger Marshall community. So, this event is actually supporting another event. It’s really a nice synergy.”

Moreland and SMSU hosted the first-ever STEM Symposium last year, which welcomes a nationally-recognized speaker to present their research and celebrate the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and the event will also be returning again this year in April.

Math Masters takes place throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, with an estimated 6,000 students expected to compete at over 60 sites in this year’s competition.

The students went through each test and round dialed in, keeping the entire gym nearly silent through their hard focus, with calculators in hand and pencils sharpened.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Brielle Ross of Dawson-Boyd competes at the Math Masters event at Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday morning in Marshall. This year's event saw a record-breaking 267 students.

“To see so many young faces who are so excited and thrilled about mathematics, and to see that dynamic of when our (host) is saying, ‘Ready, set, go,’ and all pages get flipped over, it’s exciting,” Moreland said. “It’s all about the kids.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Aubry Schons competes at the Math Masters event at Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday morning in Marshall. This year's event saw a record-breaking 267 students.

Photo by Samantha Davis: A group of fourth-grade Worthington students work on a test at the Math Masters event at Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday morning in Marshall. This year's event saw a record-breaking 267 students.