Fond du Lac High School

At the end of April, the 7th annual UW Oshkosh Mathematical Problem Solving Contest welcomed 1,000 middle and high school students from 30 Wisconsin school districts earlier this April, including participants from the Fond du Lac School District. The event combined academic competition with a glimpse into college life, as students arrived early, buzzing with excitement and spent that morning tackling timed tests and team problem-solving events.

At the eighth-grade level, 325 students competed. In the individual competition, Chloe Chen from Sabish earned a bronze medal, while Johnathan Lopez, also from Sabish, and Emma Potratz, from STEM Academy, finished in the top 10%. A proud accomplishment for our district. In the middle school team division, two Sabish teams also finished in the top 10%. The first team included eighth graders Jonah Broennimann, Chloe Chen, Lexi Pagel and Jenevi Tial. The second team, also composed of eighth graders, featured Patrick Bohlman, Friede Klopp, Felix Troicki and Finn Waidelich. The team of Patrick, Friede, Felix and Finn also competed in the FACE OFF! Game show. The eighth grade team of Emma Town, Cricket Cowles, TR Block and Charle Wichowski, from STEM Academy were one point shy of the top 10%.

At the high school level, 314 students participated. In the individual 10th-grade competition, Ethan Pagel, from Fond du Lac High School (FHS), earned a top 10% finish. Two FHS teams competed in the high school team division: the first team featured 10th grader Ethan Pagel and 9th graders Christopher Jackson and Christian Smith; the second team was made up of 9th graders Samuel Polacek, Sayla Sheide and Lucy Waisanen. A STEM Academy team also competed and scored in the top 25%, the team featured: 9th graders Jean Aufdenkamp and Michael Morris, and 10th graders Leland Jacobi and Lucas Stasson.

Founded by UW Oshkosh mathematics professor Eric Kuennen, the contest was designed to challenge students with outside-the-box puzzles that emphasize critical thinking and creativity over advanced mathematical knowledge.

In the afternoon, students explored interactive sessions across academic departments such as nursing, chemistry, and computer science. A highlight was the College of Nursing’s stations, where students practiced using IV pumps and calculating medication doses, demonstrating the real-world applications of math.

Other hands-on activities included launching weather balloons and making bath bombs in chemistry labs, further showing how math connects to a wide range of fields.