Varaždin Teams Win Statistical Olympiad for High School Students

Although during the award ceremony the song Simply the Best by Tina Turner and Queen’s hit We are the Champions were playing, it might have been more appropriate to hear the Kajkavian song Ja sem Varaždinec.

Teams from Varaždin won in both categories of the Statistical Olympiad, the first statistical competition for high school students organized by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. The announcement of the winners took place on Friday in Zagreb, at the Panorama Hotel. More than 1,500 participants, 520 teams, and 88 schools competed in the Olympiad, with registrations from all counties.

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The jury that decided on the winners consisted of Maja Pekač, Nenad Bakić, Toni Milun, Marko Krištof, Ksenija Dumičić, Leo Mršić, Lidija Kralj, and Zoran Vakula, who all ultimately presented the awards to the winners.

– We could not have dreamed of such a turnout, we are really proud of everyone. We tried to present statistics in a simple way and bring it closer to high school students. It is important for younger generations to recognize how essential it is to be mathematically and informatically literate, said Marko Krištof.

The first prize in the category for students in the 3rd and 4th grades was won by the AdAstra team from the First Gymnasium in Varaždin, consisting of mentor Jelena Gusić and students Vida Vertuš and Stella Žunić. The silver went to students from the Lucijan Vranjanin Gymnasium in Zagreb, while the third place was taken by students from the Economic School Mija Mirković in Rijeka.

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– I feel extremely happy as a mathematics teacher. Our high schools really have great potential in mathematics, and you have shown that, said Lidija Kralj addressing the young statisticians and their parents gathered at the Panorama Hotel.

In the category for students in the 1st and 2nd grades, the gold was also won by teams from Varaždin, from the Trickyone team consisting of David Copak, Filip Kovačić, and Tomislav Kereži as students of the Varaždin Electromechanical School and Martina Novak as their mentor. The second place in that category was won by students from the XV Gymnasium, while the bronze went around the necks of students from the Economic and Vocational School from Velika Gorica.

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A special award, descriptively named ‘for perseverance despite all obstacles,’ was given to Petar Kuruc, who submitted his work without the help of a mentor, without a team, and despite the fact that he ended up in the hospital during the process. In addition to the physical award, he also won the audience’s sympathy, which rewarded him with the loudest applause.

During the award ceremony, it was mentioned that there is too much negativity in the country, that cynicism has infested the entire state, especially Twitter, and that is precisely why this award is so important.

106 of the best teams advanced to the second round, six of which were awarded medals at the official ceremony held on Friday. In addition to medals, the winners received the right to represent Croatia in the European phase of the competition. The three best teams from each category, students in the 1st and 2nd grades and 3rd and 4th grades, will compete with their peers for the title of the best team of high school statisticians.