In early October, 160 students came to UCCS from all over Colorado: Arvada, Aurora, Broomfield, Centennial, Colorado Springs, Denver, Englewood, Fort Collins, Gering, Golden, Greenwood Village, Monument, Parker, Platteville, Scottsbluff, Woodland Park, Woodmoor, and other Colorado locations. One Olympian came from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The participants were offered five problems and given four hours to solve them and write complete essay-type solutions. Problems were the same for all students, both high- and middle schoolers.
First prize was awarded by the Olympiad Jury to James Lee, senior, Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins.
He will receive an Olympiad Gold Medal; a $1,000 scholarship that can be used in any U.S. university or four-year college shortly after graduation from high school; a $2,000 UCCS Chancellor’s Scholarship for the Soifer Mathematical Olympiad medalists that can be used only at UCCS while enrolled as a new freshman; the Olympiad-UCCS commemorative coin; and ca. 900-page 2024 book by Alexander Soifer entitled “The New Mathematical Coloring Book: Mathematics of Coloring and the Colorful Life of Its Creators.”
Second prize was awarded to Shruti Arun, senior, Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village.
She will receive an Olympiad Silver Medal; a $500 scholarship that can be used in any U.S. university or four-year college shortly after graduation from high school; a $2,000 UCCS Chancellor’s Scholarship for the Soifer Mathematical Olympiad medalists that can be used only at UCCS while enrolled as a new freshman; the Olympiad-UCCS commemorative coin; and ca. 900-page 2024 book by Alexander Soifer entitled “The New Mathematical Coloring Book: Mathematics of Coloring and the Colorful Life of Its Creators.”
Third prize was awarded to the following five Olympians: Alex Zhang, junior, Arvada; Joshua Liu, sophomore, Englewood; Melissa Ye, junior, Cherry Creek High School, Centennial; Karsten Huber, junior, Northfield High School, Denver; and Declan North, senior, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs.
Each of them will receive an Olympiad Bronze Medal; a $2,000 UCCS Chancellor’s Scholarship for the Soifer Mathematical Olympiad medalists that can be used only at UCCS while enrolled as a new freshman; a book donated by Springer; the books “Geometric Etudes in Combinatorial Mathematics” and “Colorado Mathematical Olympiad: The First 10 Years and Further Explorations,” both by Alexander Soifer; and the Olympiad-UCCS commemorative coin.
First Honorable Mentions were awarded to the following 20 Olympians: Christopher Zhu, freshman, Englewood; David Kent, junior, Air Academy High School, Colorado Springs; Aarush Goradia, sophomore, Cherry Creek High School, Centennial; Andrew Zhao, 8th grade, D’Evelyn Junior/Senior Highschool, Golden; Alex Wang, freshman, Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins; Neo Luo, freshman, Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins; Sofia Gainullina, sophomore, Homeschool, Centennial; Sophia Dai, junior, Lakewood High School, Denver; James Siebert, senior, Palmer High School, Colorado Springs; Keegan Mulloy, junior, Palmer Ridge High School, Monument; Will Guttormsen, junior, Palmer Ridge High School, Monument; Ben Jensen, senior, Pine Creek High School, Colorado Springs; Jacob Mark, senior, Scottsbluff High School, Scottsbluff; Kaidenz McDaniel, senior, Scottsbluff High School, Scottsbluff; Logan Polk, senior, Scottsbluff High School, Scottsbluff; Iris Li, 8th grade, Stargate School, Broomfield; Arihant Soni, freshman, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Parker; Ishaan Barhate, 7th grade, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Parker; Benjamin Patterson, sophomore, The Classical Academy High School, Colorado Springs; Gavin Walsh, senior, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs.
Each of them will receive the books “Geometric Etudes in Combinatorial Mathematics” and “Colorado Mathematical Olympiad: The First 10 Years and Further Explorations,” both by Alexander Soifer; and the Olympiad-UCCS commemorative coin.
Second Honorable Mentions were awarded to the following 40 Olympians: Clarence Lilevjen, junior, , Colorado Springs; Evan St. John, sophomore, , Colorado Springs; Noah Liu, 7th grade, , Englewood; Arnav Rohilla, freshman, , Greenwood Village; Nate Wallace, freshman, , Monument; AJ Deiderich, sophomore, Air Academy High School, ; Aditi Jain, 7th grade, Challenge School, Aurora; Egan Rinebarger, sophomore, Cherry Creek High School, Centennial; Marie Wiseman, sophomore, Colorado Springs Early Colleges, Woodland Park; Charles Griffiths, 8th grade, Colorado Springs School, Colorado Springs; Trevor Lockwich, junior, Coronado High School, Colorado Springs; Benjamin Lee, freshman, Frontier Academy, Platteville; Amos Song, 6th grade, Homeschool and Aops academy (for math), Colorado Springs; connor Mulloy, freshman, Palmer Ridge High School, Monument; Ryan Taix, junior, Palmer Ridge High School, Woodmoor; Adam Mikaelian, senior, Pine Creek High School, Colorado Springs; Jordan Dungca, junior, Pine Creek High School, Colorado Springs; Swasti Jain, freshman, Rock Canyon High School, Parker; River Baily-Nolde, senior, Scottsbluff High School, Gering; Mirthika Kumar, 7th grade, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Parker; William Holloway, freshman, TCA College Pathways, Colorado Springs; Noah Choi, sophomore, The Classical Academy, Colorado Springs; Anna Song, freshman, The Village High School, Colorado Springs; Benedict Carey, 7th grade, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Braddock Hewitt, sophomore, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Caleb Walsh, sophomore, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Elias Blazis, 8th grade, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Ethan Michaloski, 8th grade, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Evan Hopkins, senior, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Evelyn O’Rear, 8th grade, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Ezra Lilevjen, freshman, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Flynn Snyder, sophomore, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Heath Atkins, sophomore, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Kai Parris, senior, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Lucy O’Rear, 8th grade, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Maximus Topakas, 8th grade, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Zechariah Gutzman, freshman, Thomas MacLaren School, Colorado Springs; Michelle Ye, 7th grade, West Middle School, Centennial; Tina Zhang, 7th grade, West Middle School, Centennial; Alexis Pandian, 7th grade, West Middle School, Englewood.
Each of them will receive the book “Colorado Mathematical Olympiad: The First 10 Years and Further Explorations” by Alexander Soifer; and the Olympiad-UCCS commemorative coin.
Those who wish to understand the spirit of the Olympiad are invited to solve some of the 40th Soifer Mathematical Olympiad’s five problems. Here is our most original problem five for your enjoyment:
Russia, China, and America in a Fight for Mars (A. Soifer).
A. Russia, China, and the United States of America claim regions of Mars, collectively covering the entire planet by finitely many regions. Each boundary line is a whole or a part of a simple closed curve, i.e., it can be drawn without taking a pencil off the surface and without intersecting itself. Each region is owned by one country, except the boundary lines and boundary points, which are jointly owned by all the adjacent landowners. The best way of spying on the competitors is to have observers at both endpoints of a Mars’ diameter. Prove that at least one country gets to implement the best way of spying. The surface of Mars has a spherical shape.
B. Presently Turkey joined the three superpowers in a fight for the Martian territory. Will there necessarily be a country that gets to implement the best way of spying?
THIS YEAR’S PRIZE FUND OF THE OLYMPIAD and means for its delivery have been generously donated by Springer Publisher; Colorado Springs School District 11; Air Academy School District 20; UCCS Chancellor; UCCS Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance; UCCS Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor; UCCS Arts and Sciences College Dean; UCCS Parking and Transportation; and Alexander Soifer (ca. 400 books donation).
In the 41 years of the Soifer (formerly Colorado) Mathematical Olympiad, about 21,000 students participated during 1984–2025. They have written approximately 101,000 essays and were awarded around $662,000 in prizes. The Olympiad is a unique joint effort of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, school districts, publisher Springer, the City and State of Colorado governments, and the publisher Alexander Soifer.
The 42nd Soifer Mathematical Olympiad will take place on October 2, the first Friday of October 2026; with an Award Presentation following on the second Friday of October.