Several Harker students placed high in the mid-February MathCounts chapter level contest. In the team competition, eighth graders Cynthia Chen, Grace Huang, Jeffrey Kwan and Vani Mohindra took third place overall. Although they missed first place by only 1.75 points, the team qualified for the state-level competition to be held March 5 at Stanford University.

In individual competition, Chen scored 45 points to earn seventh place. The tough competition was evident, as the three top placers all scored 46 points, while the teams placing four through 10 all scored 45. Ranking was determined by which problems the students answered incorrectly.

The Santa Clara chapter of MathCounts has a reputation for being especially competitive, with more than 400 students from 44 schools taking part.

“The students are excited about the group’s success,” said middle school math chair Vandana Kadam “This is a huge achievement for the school and these students.”