Western Wyoming Community College (Western) hosted over 200 students and teachers from 14 different schools in the College’s service area for the annual 2025 Southwest Regional Math Contest on Tuesday, March 11, in the Rushmore Gym.

Evanston High School student Paul Baxter earned another one-year scholarship — he’s now one the competition two years in a row. 

Students in grades 6 through 12 participated in the competition this year. The event is sponsored by TATA Chemicals and Western’s Mathematics Department. TATA Chemicals covered the costs associated with the event with a generous donation.   

“Tata Chemicals is once again proud to sponsor and support the 2025 Southwest Region State Math Contest.  This is a wonderful event and a great opportunity for students in Southwest Wyoming to test their math skills.  We want to thank Western Wyoming Community College for hosting this event.  They do a wonderful job.  We also would like to thank and recognize the teachers that work with and prepare the students for this opportunity,” states David Young, Program Management Officer at Tata Chemicals. 

Schools in attendance included Davis Middle School, Eastside Elementary School, Evanston High School, Evanston Middle School, Farson-Eden School, Green River High School, Lincoln Middle School, Pilot Butte Elementary School, Pinedale High School, Pinedale Middle School, Rawlins High School, Rock Springs High School, Rock Springs Junior High School, and Saratoga Middle/High School. 

For the second year in a row, Evanston High School earned the top scores for Team A (grades 11 and 12) and Team B (grades 9 and 10). Paul Baxter, also from Evanston High School, secured the first individual place in Team A once again and won another one-year scholarship to Western.   

Participants in Team C (grade 8) and Team D (grades 6 and 7) use the competition as a valuable opportunity to sharpen their skills as they prepare to compete on the state-ranked Team A and Team B in the future.

“The 2025 Southwest Region State Math Contest was a huge success—proof that numbers aren’t just for calculators! This year, we had one of the largest turnouts in  the event’s history at Western, bringing together a talented and diverse group of students who tackled 40 tough individual problems and two intricate group challenges with impressive skill and determination. The dedication of participants, educators, and organizers  made this competition not just a test of math skills, but a celebration of curiosity, problem-solving, and a love for numbers. At Western, we’re proud to provide a platform where students can sharpen their minds, challenge themselves, and maybe even discover that math is more fun than they thought. Congratulations to all the participants — we can’t wait to see what you solve next!” said Lusi Stephens, Professor of Mathematics at Western.   

Western professors and Math Contest Co-Chairs Lusi Stephens, Sarah Pauley, and Kaylee Tuttle, led the event though it was a collaborative effort by many others who contributed their time to ensure this event ran smoothly.