Teams of pupils from Sperreng Middle School, the elementary Lindbergh Eager Achievers Program and the Program for Exceptionally Gifted Students recently placed at the regional Equations competition at Washington University.

The Equations competition, part of the Academic Challenge Cup sponsored by the Gifted Resource Council, draws bright pupils from diverse areas together for a fun morning of competition.

The Academic Challenge Cup encourages pupils to strive for advanced learning in their area of strength while fostering creative thinking skills.

Equations is a math game where students use their knowledge of roots, powers, multiplication, division, as well as subtraction and addition. Equations is similar to chess in many ways. Pupils first learn how “each piece moves” and then they have to learn strategy. About 80 teams participated in the competition.

Teams placing in the top three included the sixth-grade team of Scot Metzger, Emma Bradford, Steven Czaicki, Julia Thompson and Derek Clayton; and the seventh- and eighth-grade teams of Jas-mina Vajzovic, Ryan Layton, Liz Berg-mann, Chris Lang, Mike Ingenthron, Jimmy Skouby, Frank Albenesius, Brett Tanaka, Justin Firth and Justin Meyer.

Two pupils, Liz Bergmann and Audrey Dang, received special recognition for achieving a perfect score. Diane O’Leary, Sperreng gifted education teacher, was their Equations coach.

The elementary LEAP and PEGS pupils met after school to learn to play this difficult math and strategy game. They called their team the Kings of Equations. The third-grade team of John Kissel (Kennerly), Bryan Maier, Garrett Rogers, Justin Stacer (Truman) and Joe Roddy (PEGS), earned the title “A Team of Excellence.”

Other pupils receiving awards include: fifth-grade PEGS pupils: Max Fei, Evan Culbertson, Ben Wagnon, Tim Delabar and Michael Zhoa. Two pupils received awards for perfect scores: third-grade PEGS pupil Daniel Anderson-Little and fifth-grade PEGS pupil Laura Hmiel.

The team was coached by LEAP teacher Marcie Dairaghi.