Way to Go: Maciej Wlodek, Middle Island

Maciej Wlodek is in junior high school, but he's already turning heads at the college level.

The seventh-grader at Longwood Junior High School in Middle Island recently won first place in a college-level math competition held at Suffolk County Community College. He went on to take second place in New York State.

The hourlong competition, coordinated by the New York State Math Association of Two-Year Colleges, consisted of 20 questions in topics including geometry and algebra. Students earned four points for each correct answer and were deducted one point for wrong answers. Maciej scored a 33.

"I was pretty happy, but I was a little surprised at the same time," said Maciej, 12, of his achievement. "I've been doing math for a long time and practiced a lot for the test."

Maciej's brother Jakub, a freshman at Longwood High School, placed second at SCCC and sixth in New York State. They were both eligible to compete because they are enrolled in credit-bearing college math courses at the college.

At Longwood, Maciej is in Math Club, Science Club and the accelerated math program. He also is a member of Boy Scout Troop 79 in Yaphank.