COMPOUNDING MATH HONORS; MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS CRUNCH THE NUMBERS.

Byline: John Sanders Daily News Staff Writer

Eighth-graders from Challenger Middle School at Lake Los Angeles and Desert Junior-Senior High School at Edwards Air Force Base won top honors Thursday in the annual math competition at Palmdale High School.

Challenger student Bach Tien won individual honors in the Junior Mathlete competition among eighth-graders from large schools by scoring 35 of a possible 45 points, and he earned the Chuck Stoll trophy for compiling the best record in three years of competition.

Tien was also part of the Challenger team that took first place among large schools in eighth-grade competition.

``It's great. I didn't think I did that well this year,'' Tien said after the awards ceremony. ``A lot of people depended on me at the school. The questions were easier this year.''

More than 680 students from 35 schools around the Antelope Valley participated in the 11th annual contest Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Palmdale High gymnasium. The competition was so popular this year that sponsors added a third day to question all the contestants, up from 400 students in 21 schools last year.

Individual honors among eighth-graders from small schools went to two-time winner Andrew Schaffrinna of Desert Junior-Senior High School who, like Tien, scored 35 points.

Desert eighth-graders also won team competition among small schools. Schaffrinna said his team, with 202 points, created a new record for a school of any size in the contest.

``It's pretty exciting,'' he said.

On the team with Schaffrinna were Heidi Ford, Megan Grant, Alianne Steffenson and James Stewart.

Members of the winning Challenger team were Tien, Lindsey Grinnell, Robert Henson, Jordan Sandler and Tim Sazueta.

In seventh-graders competition, Chris Rudolph of Desert got top honors among students from small schools and Jeff Walsh of New Vista Middle School in Lancaster took home top honors among those from large schools.

New Vista's seventh-grade team won the title among large schools, while Sacred Heart School of Lancaster won in competition among teams from small schools.

Miguel Christophy of Buena Vista School in Palmdale was the champion among students from small schools and Aaron Schaffrinna of Forbes Elementary School was his counterpart among students from large schools in sixth grade.

Forbes, which is at Edwards Air Force Base, took the title among large schools and Barrel Springs in Palmdale won among small schools in sixth-grade team competition.

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2 photos

PHOTO (1 -- color) Eighth-grade teams work on a problem in the 11th annual math contest at Palmdale High for students in sixth through eighth grades.

(2 -- color) Challenger Middle School's winning team includes, from left, Robert Henson, Jordan Sandler, Bach Tien and Lindsey Grinnell.

Bach Tien, 13, who won top honors in the contest, blows off a little stress.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News