Montgomery Catholic Places at Alabama Statewide Math Tournament

The Alabama Statewide Math Tournament is an annual math competition organized by the University of North Alabama and sponsored by the Alabama Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Alabama Association of College Teachers of Mathematics. Round I was February 25 and took place at districts throughout the state and Round II was on April 8, the invitational round, is held in Florence, AL, at the University of North Alabama.

In the district round held at AUM in March, 22 Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School (MCPS) students competed on written tests at the Geometry, Algebra II, and all-inclusive Comprehensive levels. In Geometry, MCPS finished 2nd in our district and 7th in the state; individually, Charlie O'Donnell finished 1st in our district and 22nd in the state, while Scott Nation finished 3rd in out district and 35th in the state. In Algebra II, MCPS finished 3rd in our district and 12th in the state; individually, Erica Blackburn finished 4th in our district. At the Comprehensive level, MCPS finished 2nd in our district and 7th in the state; individually, Henry Petters finished 3rd in our district and 13th in the state.

In the invitational round at UNA, a team of six MCPS students took turns in fast-paced ciphering rounds where one student from each school goes to the front of the room and is given two minutes to answer a challenging math question with everybody watching. It's exciting. MCPS finished 7th in the state in the ciphering round. Pictured below is the 2017 team of Charlie O'Donnell, Scott Nation, Erica and Lita Blackburn, Zachary Van Alst, and Chris DeJesus.    

Three Montgomery Catholic Athletes Sign Commitments May 3

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School held a signing ceremony for seniors Riley Aaron, Joshua Koch and Ale Vazquez inside the Library on the Montgomery Catholic high school campus at 3:15 p.m., Wednesday, May 3, 2017.

Aaron and Vazquez will play college soccer at  Ave Maria University in southwest Florida next year, and Koch will commit to AUM.

Riley Aaron came to Montgomery Catholic with a military move to Montgomery for her sophomore year. She started playing soccer at the age of four, and has played for MCPS for three years, and is this year’s team captain. With a GPA of 4.01 she is the SGA Executive President, a member of Mu Alpha Theta, NHS, the Yearbook editor, a member of Science Olympiad, Girls State, and the Capital City Streaks Club Soccer (3yrs). Her Awards and Honors include: All State Honorable Mention (Junior), All Metro Honorable Mention (Junior), Joe Fields Memorial Leadership Award (Junior), All "A" Honor roll (freshmen), Scholar Athlete Award, Most valuable player (freshmen).



Ale Vazquez has attended Montgomery Catholic since the fifth grade. She has played soccer since she was five years old and has played soccer and volleyball for Montgomery Catholic for the last six years, and has received the school Most Valuable Player Award. Vazquez has a GPA of 3.4 and is a member of the Choir Club, Spirit Club, FCA, Key Club, NSHSS (National Society of High School Scholars) .Aaron is the daughter of Rick and Eileen Aaron, and Vazquez is the daughter of Chrystal and Julio Vazquez, all of Montgomery.

They are coached at Montgomery Catholic by Tyler Rosser.

Joshua Koch will join the Auburn University at Montgomery soccer team next year. Josh has played soccer for four years.  He has received the coaches award and named to the Montgomery Advertiser All-Metro team. Josh has scored 19 goals and contributed 23 assists the past two seasons under Coach Wolfe and was part of Montgomery Catholic's best ever team (2017) helping Catholic to a 18-4-1 regular season record.

Koch is the son of Wulf and Jane Koch of Montgomery. He is coached at Montgomery Catholic by Hunter Wolf.

Congratulations to these athletes on a great season at Montgomery Catholic and a bright future at the next level.

Montgomery Catholic JV Team Number One at AMP'd

The Auburn Mathematical Puzzle Challenge (AMP'd) is an annual competition for teams of seven high school students to solve puzzles involving mathematics, logic, shapes and patterns, word play, cryptograms, and creative thinking. AMP'd is sponsored by the Auburn University College of Science and Mathematics. Original puzzles are designed by the nationally recognized puzzle designer, Eric Harshbarger, who lives in Auburn and who also designed puzzles for the MCPS Freshmen Puzzle Day held last month.

The AMP'd theme this year was "Card and Key." Each solved puzzle allowed students to unlock a box containing cards. The cards when collected posed a bonus puzzle for finding a joker from the deck hidden somewhere in the building.

MCPS took a Junior Varsity team (9th and 10th graders) and a Varsity team (11th and 12th graders). The JV team was proctored by MCPS faculty members Mr. Harold Simpson with help from Mr. Rick Aaron. The team finished in 1st place by just 4 points over the 2nd place JV team. JV Team members are: Erica Blackburn, Jacob Holston, Arthur Murray, Scott “Lucky Lay Down” Nation, Charles O’Donnell, Emily Talbot and Clare Wilson (pictured below).

The MCPS Varsity did well, solving 12 of the 13 puzzles, but ran out of time as they were just solving the bonus puzzle. Varsity team members are: Ivy Bach, Lita Backburn, Chris DeJesus, Lisa Hong, Henry Petters, Katie Slear and Lauren Smith (pictured below).

Dr. Joe Profio said of the event "AMP'd is the most fun event we go to each year. Students ask about AMP'd beginning in August even though the event is in the spring. Every adult who has chaperoned an AMP'd team has also enjoyed watching the students as they think through the puzzles. It is a wonderful overall experience."

Congratulations to the Montgomery Catholic AMP'd teams a a great year!

Montgomery Catholic's Bartels Receives Grand Recognition through Duke TIP Program

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School proudly announces six middle school students who have earned State Recognition for their ACT scores by the Duke Talent Identification Program, one of which, received Grand Recognition (one of only 1,600 nationwide).

Sadie Bartels

The Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) identifies academically talented seventh grade students in sixteen states across the Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest who have scored at the 95th percentile or above on standardized achievement tests. Montgomery Catholic had 18 middle school students who qualified to participate in the Duke TIP Program last fall with six students high enough scores to have qualified for state recognition.

Montgomery Catholic students who will be honored at the Duke Talent Search State Recognition Ceremony are Sadie Bartels (pictured left), Pictured below from left to right: Grace Hoffman, Zach Izer, Julienne Pharrams, Brian Povilus and Maggie Turner. Sadie Bartels received Grand Recognition for receiving a ACT score of 28. She is the daughter of Mandy and Clay Bartels of Pike Road, Alabama.

Montgomery Catholic is very proud of these hard working students. Congratulations!