VALLEY VILLAGE : Youth Places 2nd in U.S. Math Contest

A 13-year-old Walter Reed Middle School student placed second out of 224 contestants in a national math competition in Washington, D.C., Friday, winning a $6,000 scholarship for college.

Michael Shulman, an eighth-grader from Valley Village, competed against students from all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the annual MATHCOUNTS competition. More than 350,000 students nationwide participated in the contest, which is sponsored by CNA Insurance Cos.

The contestants, who advance to the national competition by winning local and state competitions, must answer questions individually and with their teams, both orally and on paper.

Michael took first place on the written round, where students must solve 30 problems in 40 minutes using algebra, geometry and probability. “It’s a wonderful honor,” he said. “I feel tired, energetic, confused and exhilarated. I’ve never had people from the press ganging up on me like this.”