Beth Schmid
Headquarters, Washington, DC                          May 11, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1760)

Kelly Cunningham
MATHCOUNTS, Alexandria, VA
(Phone:  703/548-1291)

RELEASE:  98-79

MATHLETES COMPETE IN WASHINGTON ON MAY 15

     The nation's top seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics 
students are coming to Washington for the 15th annual MATHCOUNTS 
competition, each hoping to become the number one junior high 
school "mathlete," winning a gold medal, an $8,000 scholarship, 
and a week at U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, AL.  

     The final event in the competition, the Countdown Round, 
begins at noon EDT on May 15 and  will be open to the press and 
public beginning at 11 a.m. EDT.  The round will last for 
approximately 45 minutes and will be held in the Regency Ballroom 
of the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street, NW, Washington, 
DC.

     During the competition leading up to the Countdown Round, a 
total of fifty-seven teams of four students will be asked to 
demonstrate their computational, problem solving and reasoning 
skills, competing both as part of a team and individually.  The 
students represent each of the 50 states, the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Defense Department Schools, U.S. State 
Department Schools, and the U.S. Territories of Guam, U.S. Virgin 
Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.  

     Ten of the students in the national competition will qualify 
to compete for the title of 1998 MATHCOUNTS National Champion.  
These top ten "mathletes" will meet in the Countdown Round, a one-
on-one oral elimination event.  Students must race the clock and 
each other as they solve problems, hit the buzzer, and answer 
correctly, all within a 45-second time limit.

     In addition to the first place winner's awards, additional 
awards and prizes will be given to the top teams and individual 
winners.  Each year, the coaches of the highest scoring teams and 
individuals are awarded an all-expense-paid mathematics workshop 
at a NASA field center.  This yearŐs workshop will be held at 
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.  During the 
workshop, NASA scientists and engineers will demonstrate state-of-
the-art mathematics applications, and aerospace education 
specialists will present mathematics-oriented activities.

     MATHCOUNTS is the only program of its kind that promotes 
mathematics at the seventh and eighth grade level by building 
students' skills, strengthening their ability to do strategic 
problem solving, exposing them to career options, and giving them 
an opportunity to experience success in mathematics.  

     The MATHCOUNTS program is open to all public, private and 
parochial schools.  It is one of the country's largest and most 
successful education partnerships that is implemented by a cadre 
of volunteers, educators, and students.  Sponsorship for the 
program is provided by a host of industry, government, and 
educational organization sponsors.  NASA Headquarters has 
sponsored the MATHCOUNTS program since its inception in 1983.  
Presidents Bush, Reagan, and Clinton have all recognized 
MATHCOUNTS students and coaches in Oval Office ceremonies, and the 
program has been awarded two White House citations as an 
outstanding private sector initiative.

Here are a few facts about the MATHCOUNTS program:

*     In an average year, 350,000 students participate in the 
program;
*     Nearly 7,000 schools register annually to participate in the 
program;
*     Each year, more than 17,000 volunteers coach students and 
conduct competitions;
*     Over four million students have participated in the program 
since 1983.

     For additional information on the MATHCOUNTS program, call 
Kelly Cunningham at the number listed above; the MATHCOUNTS office 
at 703/684-2828; or refer to the following URL:

                 http://mathcounts.org