A group of Punahou ninth-graders won the Continental Mathematics League's Western Region, posting the highest combined scores on a series of challenging exams in the prestigious competition.

The 12 students, all of whom are taking Geometry Honors, won the Pythagorean Division for grade 9 in the region, which includes public and independent schools in 10 U.S. states, plus international schools in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore and other countries.

The first-place ranking was based on five 30-minute exams completed over the course of the school year, with the 12 Punahou students posting the highest combined score.

The CML, an educational organization that hosts academic leagues and contests for students worldwide, is known for its engaging, challenging academic competitions.

"These tests have tough, outside-the-box types of questions," said teacher Janet Chang '78 Oshiro, noting that the students relish the difficult subject matter and inevitably rise to the challenge. "We're proud of them all!"