NT_051619

northbrooktower.com news
the northbrook tower | May 16, 2019 | 3
‘It’s just such a talented bunch’
GBN math team
three-peats as
state champs
Martin Carlino, Editor
Glenbrook North’s math
team has done it again.
The highly skilled group
of GBN students made history
on May 4, delivering
another championship performance
to win their third
straight state title from
the Illinois Council of
Teachers of Mathematics.
During the history-making
trip to the state final,
the Spartans finished first
overall as a team, and also
took home first place in
seven of 11 events. For a
state-record 39th-straight
year, the team qualified
its entire lineup for the
state final, with 30 North
students competing in this
year’s tournament. This
year’s title was GBN’s
fourth, with previous
championships coming in
2001, 2017 and 2018.
“It’s really exciting —
I’m so happy for the kids,”
said Steve Goodman, head
coach of the GBN math
team. “I have to stop and
take a step back to just remember
how lucky I am
to work with this group.
It’s just such a talented
bunch.”
At the individual level,
the Spartans had top finishers
across multiple grade
levels and state championship
events. Senior Siva
Muthupalaniappan and
sophomore Brendan Biernacki
each repeated as the
individual state champion
for their grade level, with
Muthupalaniappan earning
the title in precalculus
A group of graduating Glenbrook North seniors on the school’s math team gather
together for a photo on May 4 at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics State
Math Contest. Photo Submitted
and Biernacki winning in
geometry.
Aside from the seven
first-place finishes, GBN
finished top-five in five additional
events.
Goodman said the
team’s group of seniors
is “the deepest class that
he’s ever had,” and from
the start, he could tell it
was a special group of
students.
“I don’t want to let them
go ... it’s such a pleasure
to work with them both in
the classroom and during
practices,” he said.
In addition to the seniors,
students at each
grade level won events at
the tournament, an imperative
factor in winning a
team state championship.
Each grade level works
with GBN educators who
are also coaches on the
team. Doing so is a key to
the group’s success.
“I depend so much on
my wonderful assistant
coaches,” Goodman said.
“We wouldn’t have the
success we do without
their hard work. Brad Benson,
Mike Campbell, John
Krickl and Mark Lewis put
in countless hours working
with these kids, and our
math department supervisor,
Maria Vasilopoulos,
also came with us downstate.
I am so fortunate to
be able to work with each
of them.”
During an interview
with The Tower, members
of the GBN math team said
the group’s overall team
chemistry has been key
in winning three consecutive
titles. Senior Britney
Sun described the group
as a family, and a group
that lifts each other up and
encourages everyone to do
their best.
The graduating seniors
said ending their math
team careers with state titles
is a proud accomplishment
and their time on the
math team is something
they’ll all cherish.
Outside of the team,
many students volunteer at
their junior high schools’
math programs, work with
local educational nonprofits
and offer math sessions
at the Northbrook Public
Library.
“It just amazes me how
wonderful these kids are,”
Goodman said.
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GBN at the state math tournament
Algebra 1 individual Jack Chen — First place
Howard Dai — Third
place
Algebra 1 Team
Dai, Katherine Chang,
Vidhata Jayaraman,
Allison Lau, Matthew
Oh and Jonah Prober —
Second place
Geometry Individual
Brendan Biernacki —
First place
Angela Zhao — Second
place
Songyu Ye — Fifth place
Hyun Min Kim — Eighth
place
Geometry Team
Biernacki, Zhao, Ye,
Kim, Jordan Bucher, and
Natalie Sun — First place
Algebra 2 Individual
Sam Mitchell — Second
place
Yanchi Wang — Fifth
place
David Wang — Ninth
place
Algebra 2 Team
Mitchell, Y. Wang, D.
Wang, Sarosh Nagar,
Arie Ogranovich and
333 Skokie Blvd. • Suite 106
Northbrook • 847.559.1992
KeepTheBeatWellness.org
Precalculus Individual
Siva Muthupalaniappan
— First place
Catherine Mei — Second
place
Britney Sun — Fourth
place
Precalculus Team
Muthupalaniappan,
Mei, Sun, Jake Shapiro,
Matthew Chertok, Zach
Wtizel — First place
Freshman/Sophomore
two-person Team
Biernacki and Zhao —
First Place
Junior/Senior 8-person
Team
Muthupalaniappan, B.
Sun, Philip Emmanuele,
Katie Suarez, Ogranovich,
Nagar, D. Wang, N.
Sun – First place
Junior/Senior 2-person
Team
Muthupalaniappan and
B. Sun — First place
All grade Relay Team
Dai, Kim, Ogranovich,
Mei — First place