SVSpartan Vanguard
VMT returns. Vanguard Math Tournament · Grades 6–8 · February 2027·Aleph returns. Aleph Competition · Grades 9–12 · March 2027·Free pizza. For participants & volunteers·Weekly meetings. Mondays & Wednesdays · La Cañada HS·VMT returns. Vanguard Math Tournament · Grades 6–8 · February 2027·Aleph returns. Aleph Competition · Grades 9–12 · March 2027·Free pizza. For participants & volunteers·Weekly meetings. Mondays & Wednesdays · La Cañada HS·

SpartanVanguardMath Club.

Extracurricular math, problem solving, and competitions at La Cañada High School. Sharpen your skills, join a team, and compete in AMC, AIME, BMT, and more.

Announcements.

Spartan Vanguard hosts an annual spring math competition for middle and high school students. Organized and run entirely by high school volunteers, the event takes place at La Cañada High School. We welcome anyone with an interest in competitive math to join us, and participants and volunteers can enjoy free pizza!

2026-03-28

Spring Competitions 2026

Spartan Vanguard hosts an annual spring math competition for middle and high school students. Organized and run entirely by high school volunteers, the event takes place at La Cañada High School. We welcome anyone with an interest in competitive math to join us, and participants and volunteers can enjoy free pizza!

February 2027

Vanguard Math
Tournament

La Cañada High School · Grades 6–8

Individual · Team · Relay rounds

March 2027

Aleph
Competition

La Cañada High School · Grades 9–12

Individual · Team rounds

Meeting Schedule.
Grades 9–10

Monday
3:30–5:00 PM

Room 221

Grades 7–8

Wednesday
3:30–4:30 PM

Room 214

Subscribe to the competition calendar (.ics)

Competition dates · works with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook

Competitions.

Competitions we train for and participate in during the 2026–2027 season.

AMC 10 & 12
The American Mathematics Competitions are the first in a series of competitions that lead to the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). AMC 10 is for students in 10th grade and below; AMC 12 is for students in 12th grade and below.
Format: 25 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes
AIME
The American Invitational Mathematics Examination is a 15-question, 3-hour exam for students who score well on the AMC 10/12. Answers are integers from 000 to 999.
Format: 15 questions, 3 hours, integer answers 000–999
Berkeley Math Tournament (BMT)
An annual math competition at UC Berkeley featuring individual and team rounds. Spartan Vanguard sends teams each fall.
Format: Individual rounds + team rounds, overnight trip
Stanford Math Tournament (SMT)
A student-run math competition held at Stanford University featuring power, team, individual, and guts rounds.
Format: Power Round, Team Round, Individual Rounds, Guts Round
Caltech Math Meet
An in-person competition at Caltech with three main rounds plus optional activities.
Format: 3 rounds + optional activities, teams of 6
SDMHC
A Southern California math competition held annually in San Diego. Spartan Vanguard sends teams to compete.
Format: Individual and team rounds
Westmont
A math competition hosted by Westmont College in Santa Barbara.
Format: Individual and team rounds
VMT (Vanguard Math Tournament)
Our annual middle school competition for grades 6–8, hosted at La Cañada High School.
Format: Individual, team, and buzzer rounds
Aleph
Our annual high school competition for grades 9–12, hosted at La Cañada High School.
Format: Individual, team, and buzzer rounds

Resources.

Study materials, practice problems, and useful links for competition math.

Problem of the Week
AMC 10 · GEOMETRY

A rectangle has perimeter 46 and a diagonal of length 17. What is the area of the rectangle?

Recommended Resources
AMC Trivial
Generates randomized competition math problem sets with adjustable difficulty.
Open →
Art of Problem Solving Volumes 1 & 2
Comprehensive books covering AMC 8/10/12, AIME, and beyond. Volume 2 also available.
Open →
David Altizio's Geometry Collection
100 geometry problems ranging from mid-AMC to IMO level.
Open →
AoPS — Avoiding Mistakes
Article on common errors in competition problem-solving.
Open →
AIME Problem Set
Collection of past AIME problems for practice.
Open →
“How to Solve It” by George Polya
Classic problem-solving methodology guide.
Open →
AoPS Resource Wiki
Aggregated math competition resources.
Open →
Worksheets
Bases Worksheet
Number bases practice problems.
Open →
Complex Numbers Worksheet
Introduction to complex numbers in competition math.
Open →
Activities
Google Form Escape Room
Interactive math puzzle escape room.
Open →
Competition Math Iceberg
In progress — accepting topic suggestions.
Open →
Spartan Vanguard

Vanguard Math Tournament

An annual math competition for grades 6–8, hosted by Spartan Vanguard.

2027 Tournament.
Date
February 2027
Location
La Cañada High School
Eligibility
Grades 6–8
Hosted by
Spartan Vanguard
VMT
February 2027 · La Cañada High School · Grades 6–8
About VMT

Annual tournament for grades 6–8.

The Vanguard Math Tournament is Spartan Vanguard’s annual competition designed for middle school students. The tournament features individual rounds, team rounds, and relay rounds covering a wide range of competition math topics.

Format.
Individual Round
Solo problem-solving across multiple topics
Team Round
Collaborative problem-solving in small groups
Relay Round
Fast-paced relay-style problems between teammates
Registration & Volunteering.
Support Us.

Our competitions run entirely on donations. Help us cover testing materials, food, and fees so we can keep competitions free.

Past Tournaments.
2026
VMT 2026
February 21, 2026
2025
VMT-2 2025
2024
VMT-1 2024
Spartan Vanguard

Aleph Competition

A high school math competition for grades 9–12, hosted by Spartan Vanguard.

2027 Competition.
Date
March 2027
Location
La Cañada High School
Eligibility
Grades 9–12
Hosted by
Spartan Vanguard
March 2027 · La Cañada High School · Grades 9–12
About Aleph

High school math competition for grades 9–12.

Aleph is Spartan Vanguard’s annual high school math competition. Named after the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and a symbol for infinite cardinality in mathematics, Aleph challenges students with problems spanning algebra, geometry, number theory, and combinatorics.

Format.
Individual Round
Challenging problems for solo competitors
Team Round
Collaborative round for teams
Registration & Volunteering.
Support Us.

Our competitions run entirely on donations. Help us cover testing materials, food, and fees so we can keep competitions free.

Team.

The officers building Spartan Vanguard this season.

D
Dobhoon
President
L
Leo
Vice President
K
Khunhoon
Secretary
A
Anish
Treasurer
T
Thomas
Manager
R
Rebecca
Publicity
Get in touch.

Remind · @lchssv
Email: vchen26@mylcusd.net, nchen26@mylcusd.net

FAQ.

Quick answers for parents and prospective members.

Who can join Spartan Vanguard?

Any La Cañada High School student. There is no application and no tryout, and every experience level is welcome, from first-time problem solvers to seasoned competitors. Just show up to a practice.

Does it cost anything to join?

No. Membership, weekly practices, and materials are free. Donations from families and local sponsors are what keep our hosted competitions free for every participant.

When and where are meetings?

Grades 9–10 · Monday, 3:30–5:00 PM · Room 221

Grades 7–8 · Wednesday, 3:30–4:30 PM · Room 214

Practices run weekly during the school year at La Cañada High School.

Do I need competition experience?

No. Practices start from the fundamentals and build toward contest-level problems. Officers teach each topic before the problem set, so you can join at any point in the year and keep up.

Which competitions does the club compete in?

Members take the AMC 10/12, and qualifying scores advance to AIME. We also send teams to the Berkeley Math Tournament, Stanford Math Tournament, and Caltech Math Meet, and we host two of our own: VMT for grades 6–8 and Aleph for grades 9–12. See Competitions for the full list.

How can parents help?

Volunteer at VMT and Aleph: parents run check-in, proctor rounds, and help with food on competition day (VMT form, Aleph form). You can also donate to cover testing materials, awards, and pizza. Both keep our competitions free for every student.