Flower Mound High School wins 24th UTA Calculus Bowl

Monday, Mar 09, 2026 • Greg Pederson :

When the last equation had been solved and the final scores were tallied, Flower Mound High School’s team earned the championship trophy in the 24th annual UTA Calculus Bowl.

The Calculus Bowl is a fast-paced, quiz bowl-style competition featuring teams of students from high schools around the region. The event is part of the Department of Mathematics’ public outreach efforts and brings hundreds of students and teachers to campus each year.

This year’s Calculus Bowl, held February 27 in the SEIR Building, drew 19 teams from near (Martin and Sam Houston from Arlington ISD) and far (Lindale, from East Texas; and Pflugerville, from just outside Austin). Some teams brought sizable cheering sections, which made for a lively atmosphere.

Each team is comprised of four or five students. Teams compete to score points by being first to correctly answer a series of challenging multiple-choice calculus questions, and the team with the highest point total at the end of the event is the winner. Each student is provided with a simple-function calculator which can be used during the game; scientific calculators are not allowed.

Flower Mound’s win extended its Calculus Bowl record for most championships to seven. Grapevine High School, the defending champion, took second and School of Science and Engineering from Dallas, a four-time winner, placed third.

Hristo Kojouharov, professor and chair of the UTA Department of Mathematics, said the Calculus Bowl is one of the highlights for the department each year and added that the event refutes the notion that mathematics is a boring discipline.

“It has been another great year of hosting amazingly bright students for an afternoon of friendly competition and celebration of mathematics,” Kojouharov said. “We’re honored to be able to put on this event which lets students get excited about mathematics.”

Kojouharov helped to create the Calculus Bowl, which has been an annual event since 2001, with the exception of the pandemic years of 2021-22. He traditionally conducts the competition but this year that role was filled by Erika Gallo, a postdoctoral research associate and instructor in mathematics.

“Running the competition for the first time was incredibly rewarding,” Gallo said. “Being behind the scenes gave me a greater appreciation for all the hard work that goes into making this event a success. Once the competition began, the energy in the room was contagious. Seeing so many students fully engaged and genuinely excited about solving math problems made it all worthwhile.”

Gallo is familiar with the Calculus Bowl, having participated in 2012 as a senior at Rowlett High School.

“It was definitely a full-circle moment. I competed in the Calculus Bowl as a high school student, and I remember how much fun I had putting my math skills to the test in a competition setting,” she said. “As someone now involved in teaching mathematics, running the event feels especially meaningful. I enjoy creating a space where students can challenge themselves, bond with their peers, and walk away having had a great experience, win or lose.”

Gallo said that many of the questions used in the competition align with AP Calculus material, but other questions were more at the college level.

“What impressed me most wasn’t just that the students could solve the harder problems, but how quickly and confidently they did so,” she said. “It’s encouraging to see so many students with both a passion and a strong aptitude for mathematics.”

Kojouharov welcomed the students prior to the start of the competition, and opening remarks were also made by Deidra Turner, assistant vice provost for advising and engagement, and Sean Kelly, dean of the UTA Honors College.

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