The battle for the 2016 Cowbellpedia Mathematics crown will be won and lost this weekend as twelve finalists roll up their sleeves in preparation for the final ‘battle’. The finalists are spread across three states in the south west, while three schools in Ota, Ogun State produced nine of the twelve finalists.
At the end of the third and final semi-final ‘battle’,Juliet Ekoko and Oreofe Daniels, both of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State, completed the list of the six finalists in the junior category.
The other junior finalists are: Oluwafunmbi Fakorede of Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State; Dennis Balogun of Greater Tomorrow International College, Akure, Ondo State; Oluwatunmise Idowu of Scholars Universal Academy, Ota, Ogun State and Glory Okoli of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State.
In the senior category, Adegoke Aromolaran of Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State and Ademola Fatoke of Ota Total Academy, Ota, Ogun State, picked the final tickets.
The other finalists in the senior category are Blessing Udoh of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State; Hasanah Adeyanju of Ota Total Academy, Ota, Ogun State; Taiwo Adeyemi of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State; and Ayooluwa Oguntade of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State.
In the qualifying written examination that took place in March 2016, Idowu scored 99 percent to qualify as one of the top 20 candidates, while the rest junior finalists scored 98 per cent. The daughter of a Mathematics teacher had earlier set a new Cowbellpedia record of 17 questions answered within a minute in her ‘60 seconds of fame’ in the preliminary round.
In the senior category, Aromolaran, an Ijesha Prince, and Blessing Udoh got a perfect score in the qualifying examination, while Fatoke and Adeyanju scored 98 and 97 per cent; respectively. The duo of Adeyemi and Oguntade got 96 per cent.
The journey to the final has been challenging and emotional for the finalists who are slugging it out for the 8.5 million naira at stake to be shared between the winning students and their teachers.
Dennis Balogun, for instance, is the last man standing for his school. His Vice-Principal, AlaoMuritala, described him as cool, calm and calculated.
Glory Okoli, the lady with an enduring smile, wants to be a medical doctor. Her Mathematics teacher, Iyanuoluwa Osewa, informed that the school has been conducting mock Cowbellpedia 60 seconds of fame to help her speed.
The story of Juliet Ekoko has remained a definition of luck, because she survived elimination three times in the road to the final. The 12-year-old daughter of a Mathematician was described by her mother, Funmi Ekoko, as very diligent.
Tunmise Idowu, on her own part, remained the revelation of this year’s competition because of her new record of 17/60 seconds in the preliminary battle. Her father, FolorunsoIdowu, who received the news of her qualification for the finals at 3.a.m, revealed that he discovered the mathematics traits in her since the age of three.
AdegokeAromolaran was described by his father, Oba AdekunleAromolaran, the OwaObokun of Ijesha, as very calculating and mathematical in reasoning. The king prayed for his success and looks forward to receiving the good news of victory at the end of the competition.