WASHINGTON, May 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Edward Wan, a 13-year-old seventh grader from Lakeside Middle School in Seattle, Washington, is the 2016 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS® National Champion, following an intense, elite competition at the Renaissance Washington, D.C., Downtown Hotel. This is the eighth year Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) has served as the event's title sponsor, as part of a decade-long commitment to MATHCOUNTS and a larger effort to promote education in science, technology, engineering and math.
Wan won the final round of the 2016 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition by answering the question: "What is the remainder when 999,999,999 is divided by 32?" He gave the correct answer, 31, in 6.95 seconds. As National Champion, Wan is the recipient of the $20,000 Donald G. Weinert College Scholarship and a trip to U.S. Space Camp.
Wan was the first seed competitor in the Countdown Round, during which the 12 Mathletes® with the highest written test scores competed in head-to-head matchups for the title of 2016 National Champion. Sixth grader Luke Robitaille, 12, of Euless, Texas, was the Countdown Round Runner-Up. The semifinalists were: eighth-graders Jason Liu of Reno, Nev., and Ben Kang of Falls Church, Va.
In the team competition, Texas captured the title of First Place Team. Team members include Andrew Cai (6th grade), Robitaille, Benjamin Wright (8th grade), and Justin Yu (8th grade). All four of the Texas team members qualified for the Countdown Round – a first in MATHCOUNTS history. The California state team took second place, and the Washington state team placed third.
"MATHCOUNTS national competitors are the next generation of innovators who will develop technological advancements we can't yet imagine," said Thomas A. Kennedy, Raytheon Chairman and CEO. "We are proud to foster and celebrate the hard work, commitment, and perseverance these students demonstrate through academic excellence."
Edward Wan was among 224 competitors from all 50 states, plus U.S. territories and schools that serve the U.S. State and Defense departments who traveled to Washington, D.C., after earning a spot in the national competition. More than 100,000 students participated in the local and state competitions that led to this weekend's event. This year's competition was the 33rd in the MATHCOUNTS Foundation's history.
"I congratulate Edward and the rest of the 223 outstanding competitors. They have shown extraordinary talent, desire and determination throughout the entire MATHCOUNTS Competition Series," said Lou DiGioia, executive director of MATHCOUNTS. "It is the student's drive and commitment to the subject that is such an inspiration to us."
About MATHCOUNTS Foundation
MATHCOUNTS is a nonprofit organization that strives to engage middle school students of all ability and interest levels in fun, challenging math programs, in order to expand their academic and professional opportunities. Middle school students exist at a critical juncture in which their love for mathematics must be nurtured, or their fear of mathematics must be overcome. For more than 30 years, MATHCOUNTS has provided free, high-quality resources to educators and enriching, extracurricular opportunities to students to lay a foundation for future success. Materials and information are available at www.mathcounts.org.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I™ products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. Visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.
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Media Contacts
MATHCOUNTS
Amanda Naar
amanda@mathcounts.org
+1.703.299.9006
Raytheon Company
Allison Jeannotte
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corporatepr@raytheon.com
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SOURCE Raytheon Company
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