June 1, 2026
Shawnee State University awarded full-tuition scholarships to the top two individual finishers in its annual SUMS Math Competition, held May 12. The event brought together 35 high schools from Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia for individual and team mathematics challenges.
The competition, hosted by the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Office of Admission, recognized top-performing students and teams with scholarship awards.
Rylan Wood, from Dawson-Bryant High School, placed first in the individual competition, receiving a four-year full-tuition scholarship to Shawnee State. Spencer Whitford, from Walnut Hills, earned second place and also received a four-year full-tuition scholarship.
Vibhuman Haricharan of George Washington High School and Jacob Lyons of Oak Hill High School tied for third place in the individual competition. First-, second-, and third-place finishers received Mathematica software licenses, provided by sponsor Wolfram Research.
Other top 10 finishers in the individual competition included Myles DeAtley of Valley High School and Logan Hamilton of Dawson-Bryant, who tied for fifth place. Seventh-place finishers were John Reed of North Adams High School, Coltrane Parsons and Leixun Mao of Athens High School, and Kaden Williams of Fayetteville-Perry High School.
The St. Joseph Central Catholic team placed first in the Quiz Bowl competition. Team members Gavin Simpson, Sophia Rowe, Alex Gnau, and Addison Murray each received a $1,750 scholarship and a Mathematica software license.
Valley High School earned second place in the Quiz Bowl, represented by Allen Smith, Myles DeAtley, Silas Lansing, and Ry Smith. Each team member received a Mathematica software license.
Bonus problem award recipients were Kendall Simpson of St. Joseph, Madeline Charles of Portsmouth High School, Isabella Niswander of Peebles High School, Gavin Simpson of St. Joseph, and Hayden Hubbard of Waverly High School. Awards included a Mathematica license and merchandise from the Shawnee State University Bookstore.
SSU’s Mathematical Sciences Department offers degrees that provide a broad intellectual foundation in undergraduate mathematics, fostering reasoning and problem-solving skills, and gives the opportunity for students to combine their interest in mathematics with preparation for a variety of career options. The department also provides a wide array of undergraduate mathematics courses to support degree programs across campus. To learn more about the programs within the Mathematical Sciences department, visit shawnee.edu/math.
To learn more about upcoming events at Shawnee State University, explore shawnee.edu/visit.