The clock winds down slowly. 3…2….1…time’s up! After years of practices, hard work, and competitions, the moment has finally come.

While it may not be a game-winning Hail Mary, buzzer beater or walk-off, the last few moments of a math league competition are just as thrilling and can produce a memory that will last forever.

For Trinity senior Paul Springer, his sophomore year yielded such a moment when he “scored sixth in the entire Louisville Math League.”

This accomplishment sparked a trend of progress in Springer’s own scores and reflects the team’s progress as well.

In the Greater Louisville Math League, Trinity has finished in the top four out of 28 schools for the past nine years. The league is split into divisions.  Trinity’s division includes Ballard, Eastern, KCD, Sacred Heart, and St. Xavier, among others.

Springer finished first in Trinity’s division his sophomore year. The glory, however, does not come without preparation.

“We usually do a practice test before,” moderator and teacher Mr. Jason Rand said. Afterwards, Rand chooses the top three in each grade level to compete, as well as some backups.

Springer has stayed sharp by doing many practice tests. He even goes over old practice tests. There are no official practices, so the members pick up a practice test and complete it on their own time.

The team currently consists of about 15 students, and all students are invited to compete.

“I was in a sophomore math class, and there was a sophomore who invited me to join,”  Springer said. He went to the first meeting, loved it, and has stuck with it ever since.

Competing in a math league provides a number of benefits for the team members, according to Rand. He said, “

Participating in the league also increases chances for scholarships and getting into tough math- or science-oriented programs.

In addition to academic benefits, Springer has met many people within the league community. The team allows upperclassmen the chance to be good role models for underclassmen.

Springer said the local competitions give him the chance to compete against people he knows from other schools, which makes the competitions more fun.

For Trinity, local competitions usually take place at Eastern High School. Unfortunately, competitions did not take place last year due to COVID-19.

“JCPS, the public schools, run it, and they were never in person until the last month or two of school,” Rand said.

The league is back this year. As Springer continues to welcome new teammates, he will always remember the students he met through competing in the league.

Springer said, “It’s nice to meet people like me who are interested in math — and do some fun math stuff!”