The 2025 Minnesota MATHCOUNTS State Competition was an exhilarating two-day event held on March 7th and 8th at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth.
This annual competition has been a part of Minnesota’s math education landscape since 1984, championing the talents of middle school mathletes and encouraging a love of problem-solving and teamwork.
This year, 131 Mathletes advanced to the state level from over 2,000 Mathletes across Minnesota who competed at the local chapter level.
These young problem-solvers joined together to compete not just for recognition but also for one of four coveted spots on the Minnesota national team that will represent the state at the national competition in Washington, DC in May.
The energy, camaraderie, and friendly competition among participants created an inspiring atmosphere throughout the weekend.
The event kicked off Friday evening with a welcome dinner and STEM-focused group activity – brush bot designs with an engineering challenge designed to connect math concepts with real-world applications. This was followed by a dessert social sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Students also enjoyed plenty of time to connect with peers and snap photos at the selfie spot.
Saturday was all about the competition. Students tackled three morning rounds:
- Sprint Round – A test of speed and accuracy with no calculators allowed.
- Target Round – Where complex problems demanded deep thinking and teamwork.
- Team Round – A collaborative test for students competing as part of school teams.
The tension was palpable during the afternoon Countdown Round, an intense and fast-paced head-to-head competition that concluded the event with lots of excitement and cheers.
Volunteers from the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers (MnSPE) makt this event possible.
A big thank-you also goes out to the program sponsors, including engineering firms and organizations like the Junior High Math League, which sponsored a wild card team.
The top-performing individuals and teams were named after the final rounds of competition, and the winners brought home not just accolades but the pride of exceptional accomplishment in mathematics.
Top 6 Individuals:
- Ahmed Ilyasov – Valley View Middle School, Edina
- Will Masanz – Capitol Hill Magnet School
- Anshdeep Singh – Kellogg Middle School
- Branden Qiao – Wayzata East Middle School
- Zachary Wang – Minnetonka Middle School West
- Alexander Yang – Valley View Middle School, Edina
Team Results:
- 1st Place Team – Valley View Middle School
Members: Jonathan Fan, Ahmed Ilyasov, Alexander Yang, Alvin Yang
Coach: Margaret Schlukebier - 2nd Place Team – Wayzata Central Middle School
Coach: Hong Cao - 3rd Place Team – Kellogg Middle School
Coach: Jack Failor - 4th Place Team – Minnetonka Middle School East
Coach: Jie Luo
The 2025 competition also celebrated the incredible dedication of coaches who guide and inspire these young mathletes. This year, three coaches were honored as Minnesota MATHCOUNTS Super Coaches for their bringing teams to the state competition five times:
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- Morgan Cronin – Minnetonka Middle School West
- Jack Failor – Kellogg Middle School
- Catherine Young – Dassel-Cokato
The Minnesota State MATHCOUNTS team is now gearing up for the national competition which will be held in May in Washington, DC.
Congratulations to all the competitors, volunteers, and supporters of this year’s Minnesota MATHCOUNTS State Competition! Your hard work, passion, and enthusiasm for mathematics continue to inspire us all.
Stay tuned for updates about Team Minnesota’s adventures at the national competition.
