Edina High School’s math team is on a roll. As the state high school math league approaches its 32nd year, head coach Alex Galt expects another successful season for Edina—and for good reason. The team triumphed in both the 2014 and 2015 state Math Bowl tournaments, with three out of 10 statewide participants representing Edina High school—2015 state winner Michael Tang and 2015 state competitors Jenny Zahng and Kenrick Bjelland.
Galt recognizes that team members from grades 9–12 bring something significant to the table.
Among the ambitious group is Tang, whom Galt admires for “seeing problems differently” and taking initiative to help other students. Cindy Jiang, one of the team’s three captains, analyzed problems from prior competitions and put together study topics for the entire team. Alan Lou, along with Bjelland, maintained the group’s social aspect, organizing math team parties and weekend get-togethers.
Galt says, “It’s really fun to hang out with kids who are as passionate about math and as good at math as these kids are. We have some really giving students.”
