FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
King High School students earn top 10 national finishes, including the nation’s highest-ranking public school calculus team
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TAMPA, Fla. (July 6, 2026) — Fifteen students from King High School represented Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) at the Mathematics Association of America’s Mu Alpha Theta (MAO) National Convention in Texas and returned home with one of the strongest national performances in school history.
Competing against some of the nation's most talented young mathematicians, King's students earned top 10 national finishes in all three team divisions, a remarkable accomplishment at one of the most prestigious high school mathematics competitions in the country.
"We could not be more proud of these students," said Superintendent Van Ayres. "Their accomplishments at the Mu Alpha Theta National Convention reflect an extraordinary level of dedication, perseverance, and academic excellence. To earn multiple top 10 finishes and be recognized among the best mathematics programs in the nation is a tremendous honor for King High School and Hillsborough County Public Schools."
Team Achievements
All three King High School teams finished in the top 10 nationally:
Mu Division: 5th in the Nation
Alpha Division: 9th in the Nation
Theta Division: 10th in the Nation
The standout result came in the Mu Division, where King High School's calculus team earned a 5th-place national finish, making it the highest-placing public school calculus team in the nation.
The team's overall success also secured a 9th-place National Sweepstakes finish, placing King among the nation's elite Mu Alpha Theta programs.
National Individual Honors
Two King High School students placed among the nation’s elite in one of the competition’s most challenging events, where hundreds of students vie for top scores on individual exams:
Alexander Heidrick — 10th Place Overall, Alpha Division Individual Competition
Aiden Mathew — 17th Place Overall, Mu Division Individual Competition
Notable Individual Event Results
Students also earned impressive placements across numerous specialized mathematics events:
Muhammad Taha (Grade 9) – Theta Division
3rd Place, Logarithms & Exponents
6th Place, Speed Math
9th Place, Applications
10th Place, Theta Relay
14th Place, Matrices & Systems
Ingrid Curtis (Grade 10) – Alpha Division
10th Place, Alpha Chalk Talk
Alexander Heidrick (Grade 10) – Alpha Division
2nd Place, Mental Math
4th Place, Matrices & Vectors
7th Place, Alpha Relay
9th Place, Equations & Inequalities
10th Place, Polar, Parametric & Geometry
Frederick Li (Grade 11) – Mu Division
8th Place, Speed Math
11th Place, Open Comprehensive
Satchel Puhr (Grade 11) – Mu Division
10th Place, Mu Chalk Talk
Jerry Lee (Grade 11) – Mu Division
6th Place, Open Number Theory
7th Place, Mental Math
8th Place, Open Probability & Combinatorics
13th Place, Mu Sequences & Series
Lucas Chen (Grade 12) – Mu Division
7th Place, Mu Applications
15th Place, Mu Functions
Aiden Mathew (Grade 12) – Mu Division
5th Place, BC Calculus
5th Place, Mu Relay
11th Place, Polar, Parametric & Geometry
The performance reflects months of preparation, dedication, and problem-solving excellence by the students and their coaches. With a strong group of returning leaders and momentum from this year’s success, King High School’s mathematics program is poised to continue its tradition of excellence on the national stage.
To learn more about our award-winning math and science programs at HCPS, visit: symmeselementaryschool.com
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