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Another Successful Math Retreat hosted at UW-Eau Claire

On February 15, 2025, the students and faculty of the Department of Mathematics hosted the 41st Annual Mathematics Meet for area high school students. Both public and private schools were invited to participate and were divided into divisions according to school enrollment. This event was made possible with the support of Xcel Energy and the Department of Mathematics.

Thirty-two teams from 15 different area schools competed this year. The Annual Mathematics Meet is a wonderful opportunity to network with mathematicians, learn some math, and take part in some friendly competition. You also get a sneak peek at UW-Eau Claire, known as Wisconsin’s most beautiful campus. Team trophies and individual scholarships are awarded for this event.

Click on some of the links below to see the problems and solutions, photos of awards winners, and the breakdown of scores from the event.

Be sure to join us next year for our 42nd annual Math Meet in 2026. The 42nd Annual UW-Eau Claire Math Meet is scheduled for February 21, 2026. Registration and additional information will be available in December 2025.

Math Meet Rules

The Meet consists of five events, including a team event. Entrants in individual events attempt to solve three problems, worth from two to five points, respectively, in a period of fifteen minutes. (In the team events, all members of each team are given a set of six 10-point problems to solve jointly in a period of thirty minutes.) All events are scored immediately.

1. There will be three classes: A, AA, and AAA. Class AAA schools are those with 600 or more students enrolled in grades 10-12. Class AA schools are those with enrollments between 200 and 599, inclusive. Class A schools are those with enrollments less than 200.
2. Each high school will be allowed to enter any number of teams consisting of six (6) students, with no more than three (3) seniors. All team members must be attending the same high school. Each contestant must be a member of a school team; that is, no one can compete as an individual. Students who are not yet in high school, but are enrolled in a high school math class may participate on a team. However, any particular student cannot ever receive more than four individual awards over the course of his/her Math Meet career.
3. The use of calculators (including wristwatch calculators, cell phones, or other calculating devices), notes, or other reference materials will not be permitted during the four individual events. During the team event, the use of books or notes will not be permitted, but the use of graphing calculators will be permitted, except for graphing calculators with symbolic capability, such as the TI-89, TI-92, or TI-N-Spire CAS. Scratch paper will be provided. Students are to bring their own pens and pencils.
4. Talking during Events I-IV (the individual events) is not permitted.
5. During the team event, the entire team can work as a group on each problem or individuals may be assigned specific problems to solve, or there may be any variation or combination of these methods. Talking among team members is permitted during the team event. Each problem in the team event will be worth ten points and points earned will count only toward the team total and not toward individual totals. Be sure to select a team captain, as only one score sheet is accepted from each team for this event.
6. A team's score at the Meet is the sum of all members' individual scores plus the team event score.
7. One faculty member or sponsor must accompany each team from a given school. This person will serve as a proctor during the exam for a team/school, different from their own. This is critical because to run the Meet efficiently we need one proctor per team.
8. Faculty should prepare their teams by reviewing the standard forms for answers to most problems - reduced fractions, simplest radical form, units (in. ft. cm.) on all answers, etc. No partial credit will be given. Answers will either be right or wrong.
9. All three classes of schools (A, AA, and AAA) will be given the same set of problems. These classes will be used to determine three sets of team awards. Individual awards will be determined for each class.
10. Awards will include: a) First and second place team trophies in each class (Classes A, AA, and AAA). b) A plaque for the top individual in each class. c) Medals to the second through sixth highest scoring individuals in each class. d) Certificates of participation to all competitors.

11. Any mistakes found in the problems or grading of the problems should be called to the attention of the Math Meet Committee on the day of the Meet. 

    NOTE: It is expected that individuals and a team representative be present to receive awards; team trophies must be picked up in person by a team sponsor or representative.

Math Meet Awards

Thirty two teams representing fourteen high schools participated in the 41st Annual UW-Eau Claire Mathematics Meet for high school students on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Mathematics Department Chair, Dr. Abra Brisbin, welcomed the students and their sponsors from the following high schools: Aquinas, Chippewa Falls, Durand-Arkansaw, Eau Claire Memorial, Eau Claire North, McDonell Catholic, New Richmond, North Cedar Academy, Regis Catholic, River Falls, Spring Lake Park, Stanley-Boyd, Tomah, and West Salem.

Scholarships valued at over $370 per credit are funded by a grant from Xcel Energy to the UW-Eau Claire Department of Mathematics.