The winners are in for the Holy Cross High School, Delran M. Dennis Dranchak Memorial Mathematics Competition held April 7.

The competition includes both an individual and a group component.  The individual winners received monetary prizes and certificates. The winner of the school and group competitions received a certificate.  All schools were also presented with certificates of participation.   

This annual event is under the direction of Frank Sgroi, chair of the school’s mathematics department.  Holy Cross Advanced Placement Calculus two students hosted the event with assistance provided by other honors mathematics students. 

The first place individual champion is Allison Hoad of Resurrection Catholic School, Cherry Hill. Second place goes to Julianna Golden of St. Gregory the Great Academy, Hamilton Square. There was a tie for third place between Colleen Kalinowski of St. Gregory the Great Academy and Tarrin Earle of Riverfront School, Florence.

The first place team champions are St. Joseph School, Toms River. Second place among teams was taken by Neeta Elementary School, Medford Lakes, and third place went to Resurrection Catholic School.

This annual competition, now in its eighth year, was re-named and dedicated in honor of distinguished faculty member, and friend of the HCHS community, M. Dennis Dranchak, who taught mathematics at HCHS for more than 40 years and passed away in September, 2013.  Dranchak was actively involved in the mathematics competition since its inception. 

The M. Dennis Dranchak Memorial Mathematics Competition is open to seventh and eighth grade students from all parochial and elementary/middle public schools in Burlington, Camden, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties.  

This year more than 120 students, representing 15 schools, participated.

The event was hosted by Holy Cross seniors, Kyle Shallow of Hainesport and Xiwen “Grace” Wong of Riverton, with the help of other seniors. 

Shallow mentioned that, as an elementary school student in Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Moorestown, he participated in the competition.  He noted, “It was great hosting it because I was in these kids’ shoes and it’s wonderful to be able to be there and help out.”  Shallow said that his favorite aspect of the competition was “asking the questions and to see how hard the students thought about the questions.”

Senior Alyssa Le of Mount Laurel said, “It was nice to see the students with such a passion for math.  They thought about the problems and were challenged.” 

Another student on hand to help was senior, Nick Falcone of Cinnaminson. “ I liked seeing how excited the learning process can be for the kids,” he said. “The students were so engaged, particularly in the jeopardy and team parts of the competition.”

Advanced Placement Calculus student, yearbook editor and active member of the theater program, Allison Adams, a senior from Bordentown, mentioned that she liked watching the kids. “They were young but so excited about math.  It felt really intense, more like a sports competition.  There was so much energy in the air.  Math is so cool!”