FLORENCE --"Mathletes" from Muscle Shoals Middle School earned the highest team ranking in the MathCounts contest Saturday at the University of North Alabama.

The event included 30 sixth, seventh and eighth graders from Muscle Shoals Middle School and four other northwest Alabama schools.

The top finishers were: first, Quinterious Hall, second, Joshua McIlroy, third, Noah Jordan, all of Muscle Shoals, and fourth, Autumn Smith of Moulton.

Hall also earned a $25 cash award as he captured the first place ranking in the countdown round, a separate competition where the top contenders from the written rounds competed one-on-one in problem-solving challenges.

Moulton Middle School of Moulton also received team trophies for their second place finish, as well as earning a trophy as the best new school.

In addition, the Muscle Shoals mathletes' first-place team finish earned a $100 contribution for their school's Math Department.

The Muscle Shoals chapter of the Alabama Society of Professional Engineers (ASPE) organized the contest in celebration of National Engineers Week UNA and the Tennessee Valley Authority were co-sponsors of the event.