Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria recently sent five student members of its newly chartered chapter of the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society to participate in the national convention in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Mu Alpha Theta Society is a national organization celebrating 60 years of promoting the enjoyment and scholarship in mathematics.

The convention hosted teams from high schools and two-year colleges nationwide to compete in individual and school competitions. More than 800 students participated, with the Ireton team being the only representatives from Virginia.

The new Ireton chapter was the brainchild of rising senior Christopher Nguyen, who researched and organized the founding of the group. The other competitors who went to the convention included rising seniors Samuel Matlock, Braden Hoagland and Thomas Coleman, and rising sophomore Melissa Nguyen. The math department faculty sponsors, Janine England and Aaron Smith, accompanied the group.

The group held its own despite facing stiff competition from much larger and more experienced teams who have competed for years at the state, regional and national levels. In addition to the competition, participants were treated to a day of exploring at Niagara Falls. Based on the experience in Buffalo, the Ireton team is planning to compete next year in Colorado Springs.