"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Matthew."
"Matthew who?"
"Math you can do - because you're great at it!"
That was the joke 9-year-old Cooper Jackson told his fourth grade challengers after winning the annual Math Counts championship on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Poplar Bluff Public Library.
Cooper of Oak Grove won by answering 54 multiplication questions correctly in two minutes. His opponents-Keona Sample of Lake Road, Emily Elliott of Eugene Field and Molly Mooney of O'Neal-were not too far behind, according to facilitators.
In order to advance to the competition, the students each competed in qualifying rounds at their respective elementary schools over the course of three weeks, making them all winners.
Cooper put an end to Eugene Field's two-year winning streak, bringing the friendly title back to Oak Grove, which last brought home the victory in 2012. The boy was awarded $25 and a trophy.
Math Counts is an arithmetic competition sponsored by the Butler County Community Resource Council's Children & Youth Succeeding in School Committee.
Above: Jennifer Jackson gives her son Cooper a pep talk during a one-minute practice round prior to the Math Counts competition.
Below: (From left) Keone Sample, CRC committee chairwoman Kathern Harris, Cooper Jackson, Molly Mooney and Emily Elliott.
