Walter Reed, Portola Win Math Tourney

Walter Reed Middle School of North Hollywood and Portola Magnet of Tarzana will represent the San Fernando Valley in March at the state finals of the National Mathcounts Competition.

The two schools were the big winners at Cal State Northridge in the recent regional competition, which drew participants from seven Valley middle schools.

Walter Reed and Portola finished first and second, respectively, in the team category. Natalie Stein and David Pasternak, both of Reed, and Albert Chiou of Portola took the top three spots as individuals by puzzling out problems of algebra and trigonometry.

An all-star team will join the two school teams at the state level March 8 at UC Irvine. The national finals in Washington, D.C., will follow in May.

The all-stars are Sandor Prater and Kate Holdaway of Sierra Vista Junior High in Canyon Country, Matthew Waymost of the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks and Ji Kim of La Mesa Junior High in Santa Clarita.

“I’m not surprised that they did so well. They’re very bright,” Walter Reed Principal Larry Tash said of his school’s team. “To think that they’re the best in Valley is amazing.

“Of course, the competition level jumps up at the state, so if they do well there, it’s really something.”