Last Updated: 05/06/2011*

Raytheon will host the nation’s top 224 middle school math minds as the title sponsor of the 2011 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition May 5-8 at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel.

Finalists competing at this year’s national competition have advanced beyond more than 100,000 middle school students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Department of Defense and State Department schools, and have won their school, local and state competitions. The students will compete to earn the titles of 2011 National Champion and National Champion Team. Winners will receive college scholarships and trips to attend space camp.

“These Mathletes, as well as their coaches, teachers and parents, should all be extremely proud of the accomplishment of advancing to this National Competition,” said William H. Swanson, Raytheon Chairman and CEO and 2011 MATHCOUNTS honorary chairman. “Raytheon is honored to provide these outstanding students and the subject of math itself, a well-deserved spotlight in our nation’s capital and on national television.”

Coverage on ESPN
The 2011 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition is partnering with ESPN to distribute live coverage of the event. The Countdown Round takes place Friday, May 6, at 3-4:30 p.m. EDT. It will be carried live exclusively on ESPN3.com, which is the same network that carries the early rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“LIVE with Regis and Kelly”
In advance of the competition, MATHCOUNTS Nebraska state champions and national competitors Erin and Emma Cooney, 13-year-old twin sisters, appeared on “LIVE! with Regis & Kelly” Thursday, May 5. During the live national telecast, Erin and Emma showcased amazing math “warm-ups” and generated awareness for the Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition.

Get Involved
Raytheon has enhanced its interactive Facebook challenge based on real MATHCOUNTS competition questions. Users will be able to answer questions, advance to higher playing levels and challenge their friends to see if they can obtain Mathlete status. Raytheon invites both adults and middle school students to complete the quiz on the MathMovesU Facebook page.

“The Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition allows all students to push themselves to the highest possible levels they can achieve in mathematics,” said Lou DiGioia, executive director of MATHCOUNTS. “Our partnership with Raytheon enables us to continue delivering our program’s mission of inspiring excellence, curiosity and confidence in mathematics to all U.S. middle school students. We support Raytheon’s campaign of motivating and inspiring students to study and pursue careers in mathematics and science.”

The Raytheon Commitment
Raytheon is the title sponsor of the Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition through 2014. Sponsorship of the Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition is a core component of Raytheon’s MathMovesU® program, an initiative designed to engage middle school students in math and science and help inspire the next generation of technologists and innovators.