MATHEMATICS LEAGUE
h. End of Season Honors and Awards
Division Coordinators, working with guidelines developed by Division Coaches,
should plan a
suitable awards ceremony at the conclusion of the regular season. This most
often takes the
form of a dinner (or a pizza party) paid for by an area industry (or by
assessing each school in
the division). Division Coordinators may forward bills for their recognition
event of up to $60
per team to the league office. Most award ceremonies have been held in
conjunction with Meet
5, and include all students who have participated. This format may be changed by
any division
wishing to do so, but it should be remembered that one goal of the league is to
recognize effort
and achievement in mathematics, to give increased visibility to activities
available to those with
interest and ability in mathematics, and to encourage students with mathematical
talent to
pursue further training in the discipline. The recognition event should be
consistent with that
goal. Media coverage is of course desirable. To assist the schools in
recognizing students at the
end of the year, the Board of Directors has approved the following program of
awards for
participants in the Minnesota State High School Mathematics League.
The League will award plaques to the first and second place teams in each
division.
Three plaques will be awarded in divisions of 9-12 teams, 4 plaques in divisions
of over
12 teams. Besides an engraved statement of achievement (identifying the League,
the
division, the year), each plaque will bear the names of the coach and each
school
participant who (1) participated as a team member or as an extra in at least
three of the
five regular meets, and (2) was selected at least once during the season as a
member of
the school's team.
The League will award a certificate suitable for framing and a pin to the
individual on
each team who has over the season accumulated the most points.
The League will provide awards to students in each division who accumulate the
most
points. The top three awards will be desk-top accessories (a pen holder, a
marble paper
weight, a mug) with a suitable inscribed plate. All top divisional students
according to
the schedule below will receive pins and certificates. The desk-top awards will
change
from year to year in anticipation that some students may win in successive
years, and
the number awarded in a division will vary with the size of the division
| Teams in Division | Desk Top | Division Pin | Team Pin | Plaques |
| 1-8 | 3 | 10 | per school | 2 |
| 9-12 | 4 | 15 | per school | 3 |
| Over 12 | 5 | 16 | per school | 4 |
Unless the League Associate Director is otherwise instructed by the Division
Coordinator, the awards will be sent to the Coordinator who should check them
beforehand to see that all is in order.
Schools are also encouraged to recognize individuals who participate on their
mathematics
team. The awards (a school letter, a pin of some kind,..) and the method of
representation
should give recognition to the student and increase school awareness of the
activity. These
awards (cost, decision as to who receives them) are completely the
responsibility of the local
school.
The League will award trophies to the individuals that finish first, second, and
third in
individual scoring (overall across the state) during the League's regular
five-meet season. These
awards will be presented at the State Tournament.
The League will award trophies to the schools that finish first, second, and
third during the
League’s regular five-meet season. These awards will be presented at the State
Tournament.
i. Postponement of Meets
All meets are scheduled on Mondays. Postponement or cancellation of a meet
because of
weather conditions is a decision to be made at the divisional level, probably by
the designated
Division Coordinator, working within any guidelines the division has
established. The League
Office shall be notified as soon as possible of any postponement, and the
Executive Committee
shall, in exercising its right to extend special State Tournament invitations to
top scoring
individuals, weigh any possible effects of postponed meets.
5. State Tournament Rules
a. Overview of State Tournament Structure and Competition
The league culminates its season with an end-of-the-year state tournament. There
are three
components to the state tournament: an Invitational Event in which top scoring
individuals
from the regular season compete directly with each other, a Math Bowl
competition staged as a
public quick response event between top scorers in the Invitational, and
finally, a meet
following the usual rules. Individuals and teams are invited to the state
tournament on the basis
of their standing in their division or their overall standing in the state (see
further explanation
below). Awards are given at the end of the meet for outstanding performance.
Costs of this
tournament, including the cost of the recognition dinner, are paid from League
funds. Those
who drive more than 50 miles to the tournament site may elect to be housed
overnight by the
League.
b. Tournament Invitational Event
The Invitational Event is a 30 minute test with a maximum score of 24 pts. The
event consists
of eight quickie questions (one point each), four questions intended to be
equivalent in
difficulty to the three questions that normally appear on Individual Events (two
points each),
and two multiple part challenge questions (four points each).
The top ten scorers in the Invitational Event then compete in the Math Bowl. The
Math Bowl
is a quick-response, elimination competition.
Math Bowl Rules/Procedures
• The top ten students from the Invitational Event will be selected to
participate.
Seasonal scores will be used to break ties.
• The names of the participants will be announced at the time of the event. They
will be
asked to come up to the stage and proceed to a chair at the table on stage. They
will be
asked to print their name and school at the top of a white board, leaving the
rest of the
area to write their answers. A cloth and marker will be provided.
• Each student will be given a written problem (one at a time) with enough space
under
the problem to do their work. A time limit is imposed on the problem and when
time is
called, participants hold up their answers. A point is awarded for each student
displaying a correct answer
• At the end of eight (8) problems the one(s) tied with the top number of
correct answers
(if any) will continue and the rest will leave the stage.
• After each additional question, those who had wrong answers will be asked to
leave
the stage. This will continue for 7 more questions. If at the end there are
still ties, the
Invitational scores will be used to break the ties.
• One winner is declared (if possible). The winner receives a trophy.
Tournament Invitational Event participants
Invitations to individuals to participate in the Tournament Invitational Event
will be
extended according to the following procedures.
1. The top scoring individual from each division shall be invited.
2. From the list of top scoring individuals in the League, ranked on a statewide
basis in order of total scores earned during the regular season, the top 50
students shall be invited.
3. The Executive Committee may invite other students who, because of individual
circumstances, may not be selected in steps 1 and 2, but who have compiled
outstanding individual records.
c. Tournament Team Contest
Teams compete against each other at the state meet just as they did during each
meet in the
regular season. The usual rules that govern all meets (including the rule that a
team includes
two students not beyond 10th grade) will be followed, with the following
modifications:
1. Individual events will be 15 minutes (Event A will cover any topic listed in
any A event during the regular season; similarly for events B, C, and D).
2. The Team Event will be 30 minutes.
3. Challenges to answers must be submitted no later than 30 minutes after the
team event has concluded.
Any ties occurring between teams will be settled on the basis of which of the
tied teams scored
the most points during the regular season.
Team Participants
Invitations to teams will be extended according to the following procedure:
1. The winning team from each division shall be invited. Scoring at each regular
meet to
determine a division winning team will be as follows:
1st place team earns the number of schools in the division plus one point
2nd place team earns the number of schools in the division minus one points
3rd place team earns the number of schools in the division minus two points
continue the pattern until last place team at the meet earns a minimum of one
point
A team that does not participate in a meet will not receive any points.
If there is a tie after five meets, tournament invitation determination will
revert to
overall total points. The Hibbing Rule will apply. In the case of divisions
where the
leading team cannot or chooses not to participate in the tournament, the second
place
team will be invited.
2. A second place team in a division shall be invited if it has finished second
in the
division behind the same school to which it finished second in the previous
year,
AND the team places in the top 50 of the state.
3. From a list of all schools in the League, ranked on a statewide basis in
order of total
scores during the regular season, the Executive Board will extend invitations to
teams
not already invited until a full complement of 38 teams have been invited to the
tournament. Care should be taken to insure that the top 15 schools are invited.
Tier I and Tier II
The league recognizes that smaller schools have a harder time competing against
larger
schools and therefore divides the state team competition into tiers. At the
beginning of
the year and following MSHSL state basketball rules, each team in the league
shall be
designated as a Tier II team (A/AA in MSHSL) or Tier I team (AAA/AAAA in
MSHSL).
Any team qualified by size for classification as a Tier II team can, by
notifying the
league office, participate in Tier I. This notification must be received before
the first
meet.
Number of students per school at Tournament Team Contest
Invited teams are to bring eight team members to represent their school in the
tournament. Teams wishing to bring 1 alternate may do so, but will be asked to
pay a
fee for the alternate to cover the costs of room and board. Alternates will be
formed into
one or more teams to compete as Alternates Team 1, Alternates Team 2, etc. in
the
tournament, but these teams will not be eligible for awards.
Teams requesting extra facilities (a practice room, ...) or awards for Assistant
Coaches
will be asked to pay for extra costs incurred.
d. Recognition of Individual Scoring Leaders
The League will award trophies to the individuals that finish first, second, and
third in
individual scoring at the state tournament. Those students who reach the
Invitational Event at
the tournament will receive certificates. The scores received at the
Invitational together with the
scores received at the tournament will determine the first, second and third
place for
Tournament Scoring Leaders. In order to be considered for an Individual Award
for individual
scoring honors, a student must be involved in at least one of events C or D.
When donors provide scholarship funds, these scholarships shall be awarded to
individuals
ranked highest on the basis of the sum of the season total score and the
tournament total score.
Such awards will be deferred until after high school graduation and sent
directly to the student
upon league receipt of letter indicating how the student plans to use the money
to further
his/her education. If said letter is not received within 3 years of graduation,
the student forfeits
the scholarship and the monies are returned to the scholarship fund.
e. Recognition of Top Scoring Teams
At the tournament there shall be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies for teams in
Tier I, and 3
similar trophies for teams in Tier II. Any team that participates and wins a 1st
or 2nd place
trophy in Tier II for two consecutive years must, in the succeeding year,
participate in
Tier I
f. Tournament Weather Procedures
Owing to scheduling commitments made for hotel rooms, for the auditorium,
cafeteria and
classroom space at the host school (South St. Paul High School in 2008), our
policy is to hold
our tournament on the scheduled day if it is at all possible. This recognizes
the fact that our
tournament, once cancelled, would be extremely difficult to reschedule.
The executive committee will try to make any determination on the cancelling of
the
tournament by 7 AM on the day of the tournament. Travel conditions typically
vary across the
state, as do intended modes of travel (bus, van, private automobiles). It is
expected that
participants in the tournament will in all cases follow the rules and directives
of responsible
officials of their school in deciding whether to attempt the trip to the
tournament.
If participants from a school can assemble themselves locally but cannot make
the trip to the
tournament, they may, if arrangements are approved ahead of time by the League's
Executive
Committee, participate electronically. Scores obtained in this way by people
taking the exams
at the same time in another location shall be posted with the scores of teams at
the meet, and
shall qualify for awards as if they were present.
For teams and individuals unable to be present at the tournament to accept
awards they have
earned, the League Director shall make a good faith effort to personally present
such awards in
an appropriate venue (school awards night, honors banquet, etc.). In cases where
several invited
schools from the same area of the state cannot get to the tournament, the league
shall cooperate
with said schools in setting up a suitable recognition event in their area later
in the spring.