Vermilion student a finalist for national math competition

VERMILION — A Vermilion student's impressive math scores put him on the national stage. Patrick Anders, an eighth-grader at Vermilion High School, is among almost 600 student finalists for MathCON, a national mathematics competition slated for Saturday in Chicago. Since 2008, more than 200,000 students across the country have participated, the competition's website states.It's the third year he's qualified for the competition. The past two years, he received honorable mention accolades.On Saturday, Patrick will have one hour and 40 minutes to answer 40 math questions. He and other finalists won't be able to use a calculator, according to MathCON's website.To qualify for the competition each time, Patrick took a timed online MathCON test, scoring high."I wouldn't have known about it if not for my teachers," he said.To prepare, Patrick completes online practice tests daily, which feature various types of math problems."You never really know what you'll have on (the test)," he said.Vermilion High School math teacher Devon Snook tutored him last year and believes Patrick will do well. "It's awesome to see Patrick succeed," Snook said. Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodVermilion High School student Patrick Anders was named a finalist for MathCON, a national mathematics competition and will face off against hundreds of students in Chicago on Saturday.