Elias Wood of Shiloh shines at prestigious competition

HUNTINGTON, IN (05/01/2013)(readMedia)-- Huntington University junior Elias Wood scored the highest score ever by a Huntington student on the Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition.

Wood is a math major from Shiloh, Ill.

The Putnam competition is a national math contest for college students. It is renowned for its difficulty. Half of the students who sit for the exam receive a score of zero.

This year 4,277 students participated from 578 institutions. Wood ranked 713 among the participants for this year.

"This is an outstanding achievement for Wood and Huntington University," said Matthew Wright, assistant professor of mathematics. "No one from Huntington has competed in this competition is several years."

Wood said he always enjoyed a good math problem so these tests are a "blast" to him. When asked about his biggest concern before the test took place, he said staying calm and not stressing. Above anything else, Wood praised Wright for the encouragement and preparation he provided.

"And to God; without Him, I don't know where I'd be," Wood said.

Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America's Best Colleges. Additionally, Princeton Review has named the institution a "Best Midwestern College." Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

For text of this and all Huntington University news releases, visit www.huntington.edu/news.