Maths is not always about number crunching and angst-filled silence.
Sometimes, it is about sprinting hard out and cheering at the top of your voice.
This was proved yesterday as about 1000 Otago pupils took part in the NumberWorks mathletics competition in the Dunedin Town Hall.
For years 6-10, teams of four were given problems to solve, the answers to which were run to a marker who either accepted it or gave it back.
During each 30-minute competition, the hall was filled with noise as teams discussed their answers, feet stomped on the floor and parents cheered from the sidelines.
For the senior pupils in years 11 and 12, the competition was run in rounds.
A written and oral questions produced a top eight, which competed in a buzzer round.
Organiser Ainslie Anderson said about an extra 250 people were involved in marking and score keeping for the event, which has been held since 1977.
Results were. -
Year 6: George St Normal School 1, Maori Hill School 2, Wakari Primary School 3.
Year 7: John McGlashan College B 1, Balmacewen Intermediate A 2, John McGlashan A 3.
Year 8: Balmacewen Intermediate School A 1, Tahuna Normal Intermediate School B 2, Balmacewen Intermediate School B 3.
Year 9: Otago Boys High School A 1, Kings High School A 2, Bayfield High D 3.
Year 10: Bayfield High A 1, Logan Park High A 2, Kavanagh College A 3.
Year 11: Columba College A 1, Kavanagh College A 2, Logan Park High A 3.
Year 12: Columba College A 1, Logan Park High B 2, John McGlashan College A 3.
