On Sept. 12, members of the New York State Mathcounts team were congratulated by Congressman Tom Suozzi for their second-place finish at the 2025 RTX Mathcounts National Competition. Congressman Suozzi presented each team member with a citation in recognition of their outstanding performance at the national event, which took place this past May in Washington, D.C.
All four students on Team New York hail from the 3rd Congressional District: Great Neck residents Derrick Chen (Horace Mann School) and Victor Yang (Great Neck North Middle School), and Jericho residents Hanru Zhang and Ryan Zhang. Team members were selected to compete at the nationals based on their top individual performances at the State Mathcounts Competition, which took place in Saratoga in March.
The students were joined by Dr. Zachary Boyt, team coach and mathematics department head at Great Neck North Middle School, and Laura Pellizzi, state Mathcounts coordinator and Executive Director of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers.
In addition to the team’s impressive second-place finish, North Middle School’s Victor Yang finished in sixth place overall — out of 224 national competitors — in the individual portion of competition.
This is the second consecutive year that Dr. Boyt was tapped to coach the New York State Mathcounts team. “It’s an honor and a privilege for any Mathcounts coach to lead Team New York even once — but to be able to coach for two consecutive years was truly something else,” said Dr. Boyt. “After 2024, it was clear how to adjust our team’s approach to D.C., and those adjustments paid off. Our success couldn’t have happened to a more gracious and diligent group of young men.”
State coordinator Laura Pellizzi, who has been involved with the Mathcounts program for 25 years, says what set this year’s team apart is their genuine enjoyment of the entire competition experience, not just the pursuit of victory: “Dr. Boyt has made it a priority in their practices and at the National competition that there’s a time to focus and there’s a time to relax and clear the brain. I believe that balance played a large part in this team’s second place victory.”
Following the team’s successful performance on the national stage, the New York State Society of Professional Engineers selected Dr. Boyt as the recipient of the chapter’s 2025 Educator of the Year award.
The Mathcounts competition is for students in grades 6-8. It focuses on problem solving and mathematical reasoning through collaboration, with points awarded for speed and accuracy. It is sponsored by the Mathcounts Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides engaging programs to middle schools across the country.
