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SANTA BARBARA, CA – The brightest young math minds on the South Coast squared off at the 40th annual Math Super Bowl competition held on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the Page Youth Center.
Nearly 375 4th- through 6th-graders from 34 public and private schools throughout southern Santa Barbara County competed through three rigorous written tests. They then tackled a hands-on team challenge: engineering the tallest free-standing tower using 3 sheets of paper, 1 paper clip, and a yard of masking tape.
Awards are earned individually and by grade level, with a top award given to the highest-scoring school overall. This year, that distinction was earned by Peabody Charter School, which scored 758 points. Second and third place in the “School Overall” category went to Washington Elementary School (742 points) and Montecito Union School (695 points), respectively.
First-place individual scorers (with several earning tied, perfect scores) were:
4th grade: John Selgarth, Peabody Charter School; Aaron Beckman, The Knox School of Santa Barbara; Seamus Cottrell, Washington Elementary School
5th grade: Hunter Jackson, Laguna Blanca; Keane Johnson, Peabody Charter School
6th grade: Isaac Cumes, Canalino Elementary School; Miles Yan, Foothill Family School
First-place winners by grade-level teams were:
4th grade: Washington Elementary
5th grade: Laguna Blanca
6th grade: Washington Elementary
For a full list of top scorers in all categories, click HERE.
Cati Gil, a longtime Peabody Charter School teacher and math team coach, said, “All the kids just work so hard and are so collegial with one another. We see the support from the parents, the coaches, and the volunteers. This [win] really shows the emphasis we put on math at our school.”
Peabody Charter School 5th-grader Keane Johnson delivered a standout performance Wednesday, earning a perfect score on the individual test and helping his school win the overall team competition. “We have a really great team this year, and we all just pulled together today,” he said. Johnson added that he enjoyed meeting students from other schools. “We all just think math is fun because you get to challenge your brain.”
Jeff Linder, a Math Specialist at Montecito Union School and a coordinator of the event, said, “This is a really special event for the kids. They get to shine and be recognized for their mathematics and problem-solving abilities. We’d like to give a huge shoutout to all of the coaches, volunteers, and parents who have come out in support. A special thanks also to the Page Youth Center for hosting us this year. It was a fantastic event all around.”
Ellen Barger, Associate Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction at the Santa Barbara County Education Office, was one of the school leaders on hand to announce winners and congratulate the students: “I am inspired to watch so many young mathematicians embrace the wonder, the struggle, and the beauty of mathematics. Solving interesting problems with teammates is one of the great joys of childhood, and we are grateful to all the volunteers who make it possible.”
The South Coast-based Math Super Bowl is sponsored by Cold Spring School, Montecito Union School, Peabody Charter School, and the Santa Barbara County Education Office. A North County-based Math Super Bowl took place in March.
Congratulations to all of the participants! Other photos from the event will be available at sbceo.org in the coming days.
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