ORMS MATHCOUNTS Club Earns Honors in Seacoast Region Chapter Competition

  • Posted February 10, 2026
Group photo of the Oyster River Middle School MATHCOUNTS competition team.

Pictured from the left:  Dr. Dean Rubine, UNH Sr. Lecturer Mathematics and Statistics Lauren Sager, Anyan Yao, Dr. Karen Graham (UNH Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics), Meixi Liu, Sam Knevitt, ORMS Math Interventionist Krista Butts.

The Oyster River Middle School (ORMS) MATHCOUNTS competition team, comprised of Meixi Liu (team captain), Derek Geng, Sam Knevitt, and Anyan Yao earned third place in the February 7 Seacoast Region Chapter Competition at the University of New Hampshire (UNH).

A total of 62 students represented ten public and private schools at the event. The ORMS team will next compete in the New Hampshire State Competition at Concord’s Community College on March 14.

All four students earned a spot among the top 12 positions, which qualified them to compete in the Countdown Round, an optional challenge where students have a maximum of 45 seconds to solve an equation without a calculator.

Sam Knevitt placed 3rd in the Countdown Competition, and Anyan Yao placed 4th overall in the Individual Competition.

Team Captain Meixi Liu (8th grade) shared: “The competition was a success overall. Our team placed 3rd and qualified for the state competition, which we are proud of. This season came with new challenges, but it helped us grow more as a team and made getting into states very worthwhile.”

In addition to the team, four ORMS students who scored among the top 9 during a school-level competition in January were eligible to compete individually.

Congratulations to Chelsy Liu (5th grade), Yaoyuan Li (7th grade), Aditi Kidambi (7th grade), and Nina Shi (8th grade).

“I am really proud of this group of kids,” said Mrs. Butts. “They worked really hard to prepare for the competition, and while they had some doubt throughout the day, they kept on pushing on and doing their best, and they did very well.”  I look forward to seeing how they will do at the state-level competition.”

MATHCOUNTS is a national middle school challenging mathematics program and competition that builds problem-solving skills. The ORMS afterschool club is led by Math Interventionist Krista Butts and community member Dr. Dean Rubine.

“We are grateful for the exceptional support that Mrs. Butts and Dr. Rubine provide for our students,” said Principal Bill Sullivan. “After seeing firsthand our students’ dedication and hard work, it’s no surprise to see our MATHCOUNTS club excel again this year. We wish them the very best as they head to the state championship.”