High school students from across Northern California filled Rio’s gym on April 11, but they weren’t there for a sporting event—they were there to do math problems. Rio hosted the final competition of the Mathletes season, bringing students from schools all over the region to compete. 

After the competition ended, students anxiously awaited their tests to be scored by the judges and for the winners of the season to be finalized. Finally, the results were announced. In first place, Franklin High School. In second, Rio Americano. 

This placement came as a big surprise to the Rio Mathletes. 

“There were times at previous competitions when we were close to getting third place,” Mathletes president Olivia Huang said. “But none of us expected second place to even be possible for Rio.”

The competition consists of five tests: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and the group event, problem-solving. At Thursday’s competition, five students comprised the Rio team: juniors Logan Henningsen, Olivia Huang, and Dominic Reyes; and sophomores Logan Freeland and Caleb Frazee.