A team of Year 9 and 10 students headed to the University of Auckland on Tuesday 11 August for the final of the Auckland Maths Challenge. In this competition, Māori and Pasifika students race each other to solve maths problems, with a runner from each team sprinting to deliver the answers to the judges as quickly as possible. 

Over the last few months, Waitākere College teams competed in the West Auckland & Central heats, enjoying success by winning or placing several times and earning gift vouchers as prizes. 

The final event, bringing together teams from schools across Auckland, added a different level of excitement. Our teams worked hard and the runners exhausted themselves as they kept the pace up throughout the 20 minute rounds. 

A special congratulations to our Year 9 team (Eva Bischkopf, Neriah Salman, Lukas Maka, and Quinton Va’aelua) who placed first overall in the Year 9 competition. This marks the first time a school from the Central & West zones has placed first in the final event.

This was a great experience for our group as they also got a glimpse of campus life at the University of Auckland, seeing all the amazing tall buildings, including the University’s very own Clocktower.