The Quest for High School Mathletic Glory

Chapter 10: The pre-season

Having barely returned from Chicago, where Trent's stepsister appeared a little troubled by the intensity at which her country town threw themselves behind her, that already rumors are circulating regarding the roster of the football team as of the mathletics team. At this stage, we only have three certainties: Geneviève, Krista and Marcia. But everyone in town knows that, as much as these three students form the spearhead to defend their state title on the Square Root of the Answer, a fourth player having the potential to learn single-variable calculus in four months and learning multi-variable calculus concurrently is required. And what about the Math Madness, the Purple Comet or the AMC12?

At the same time, the first practice session for the football team is held and certain positions will be watched tightly, such as the tight end who must be replaced after Dylan's graduation, the long snapper, to name only the positions that Geneviève acknowledges having known their previous holders personally.

"We have so much to catch up for the summer! How has it been in Chicago?" Marcia asks while Randy approaches.

"I have had more contact with the graduate students than the undergraduates. But, if the people at the YSP camp are an indication of with whom I will be spending four years in Chicago, I think that I will like, notwithstanding that Chicago isn't any windier than here. That said, one of the students claimed I had lead feet" Gen answers Marcia.

"What do you mean, you have lead feet? You never got a ticket as far as I know!" Randy comments, surprised by this claim.

"The most advanced at the camp also took part in the Square Root of the Answer, but if, to the eyes of this student that claimed that my proverbial foot was made of lead, doing multi-variable calculus in eleventh grade could still pass, solving PDEs in open air was tantamount to curricular speeding. Nevertheless, everyone had a sincere interest towards the world of mathematics, there weren't really students that sought to do intensive padding without regard for the material"

"If I told you that I will take calculus BC... you are an inspiration for us all, and we shouldn't fear the material" Randy announces.

"Me too" Cory adds.

"When I first knew you, you were lost in the material. What do you want now, play football or being on the math team?" Gen asks Cory.

"Being on the math team"

"Let me make that clear, Cory: I don't want to see you play on the team just so you can date me, or because your dad is a booster of the team! You know exactly what it takes to be able to defend our state title on the Square Root of the Answer, and you know how tall the order is! If you want to be part of the Venomous Agendas' glory, proudly wear the purple and the green in competition, you will need to pull your weight!"

"Last year, I had my best academic year in my life, and for the first time I got an A in a mathematics course! Why stop?" Cory asks her.

Elsewhere on campus, Krista appeared to be a little lost; after all, her only visit of the area seems to have been around the stadium, and not in the academic building itself. The two most followed teams in town draw the public's attention, wanting to know who the public's darlings for the upcoming season will be in the case of mathematics, or if there is a sliver of hope to recover from this disastrous 1-9 season for football. But she finds her way around with Marcia as a guide, and all these people find themselves in a room that's too small for the number of candidates for the team, therefore a second room is required to accommodate the remaining students.

"Please tick the box on the cover page of the diagnostic pre-test if you wish to be considered for the Square Root of the Answer. The second part is reserved for this purpose. If you do not want to be considered for the Square Root of the Answer, you may leave after the end of the first part..." Trent announces.