On Jan. 9,  North High’s  very own math team competed at the Nassau Mathematics Tournament at Hofstra University, earning multiple team and individual honors against schools from across the county. The event brought together dozens of schools and hundreds of students, all working through demanding mathematical challenges in a fast-paced, competitive environment.

Hosted by the Nassau County Interscholastic Mathematics League, the Nassau Mathematics Tournament, commonly referred to as N.M.T., is one of the most competitive academic events in the county. The annual competition brings together some of the strongest high school math students in the county, many of whom spend months preparing through regular practices and problem-solving sessions. The tournament is structured around two individual rounds and one team round, testing not only students’ ability to solve challenging problems but also their speed, accuracy and ability to collaborate closely with teammates.

“Beforehand, I studied a bunch of math concepts and refreshed things I haven’t worked on in a while, like geometry and probability,” junior Harrison Albin said. “Next year I will focus on my note-taking and look at different math puzzles. The competition as a whole was still pretty enjoyable and turned out fairly well, but I personally need to stop making so many mistakes.”

Each individual round requires students to solve a series of challenging problems independently within a limited time frame. The team round, however, emphasizes cooperation, as students must work together to reach correct solutions efficiently. This structure encourages both personal accountability and group strategy, making teamwork an essential part of success at the competition.

North High sent three teams to the competition: two lower-division teams and one upper-division team. The upper-division team placed eighth out of 62 teams, an impressive result against fierce competition. The team consisted of juniors Harrison Albin, Zhaoxi (Gavin) Chen, Yuxuan Han and Jacob Zhang, along with senior Maggie Xiao. Their performance reflected both individual preparation and effective teamwork during the team round.

The school’s lower-division teams also delivered standout performances. One team earned second place overall, while the second team finished ninth out of 40 teams. The second-place team included freshmen Brian Liu, Jayden Wen, Sabrina Wu-Hu, and Aaron Xu, as well as sophomore Brandon Li. The second lower-division team was made up of freshmen Ryan Cheng and Lucas Ye, along with sophomores Jake Wu, Charlie Yu and Sarah Zheng.

Several students also earned individual recognition for their performances. Sophomore Brandon Li placed second among all competing 10th graders, earning a perfect score on the written exams before advancing to a tiebreaker round, where he won two of three rounds. Junior Zhaoxi (Gavin) Chen placed fourth among 11th graders, answering 24 of 25 questions correctly. Freshmen Aaron Xu and Brian Liu tied for fourth place among ninth graders, each also scoring 24 of 25.

Advisor Mr. McDermott praised the students for their effort and commitment throughout the competition. “Overall, I am so proud of all of them for all of their hard work and dedication,” Mr. McDermott said.

Beyond the placement and scores, students emphasized the collaborative nature of the tournament.

“A lot of it involved dedication, sportsmanship and critical thinking, but I’d say the most important factor of the competition was the community and teamwork that took place,” junior Yuxuan Han said. Han’s sentiment echoed the structure of the competition itself, which rewards both individual skill and collective problem-solving.

The Nassau Mathematics Tournament is widely regarded as one of the most competitive academic events in the county, drawing schools with long-standing math programs and rigorous preparation. North High’s strong showing emphasized the true depth of its math team across grade levels and divisions.

Through strong performances in both individual and team rounds, the students demonstrated not only academic excellence but also collaboration, perseverance and a shared commitment to success—proving that at N.M.T., math is far from a solo endeavor.