Riverdale K-8 Eighth Graders Earn Top Honors at Regional Algebra Competition

Four eighth grade students from Riverdale K-8 School recently earned top honors at the 2026 Tennessee Mathematics Teachers’ Association Regional Contest in Algebra I, held April 7 at the University of Memphis.

Representing Riverdale under the leadership of coach and sponsor Michelle Dlabaj, the students competed against some of the region’s strongest young mathematicians and delivered an outstanding performance:

Mukesh Kavala — 1st Place
Avi Grishman — 2nd Place
Caitlin Menezes — 3rd Place
Persephone Kapellas — 7th Place

The TMTA contest process is highly competitive and includes multiple rounds of scoring and review. After the initial contest, the top papers from each testing center are reviewed by a regional chair before advancing to state-level re-grading supervised by the TMTA Examinations Director. Final awards are determined by the organization’s Contest Committee.

The students’ impressive results highlight both their advanced mathematical problem-solving skills and the dedication of Riverdale’s academic programs and educators.

Congratulations to these talented Riverdale Raiders and to Michelle Dlabaj for an exceptional showing at the regional competition.