DePauw Math Team Beats Notre Dame in Historic First Win

A trio of DePauw University students just made history by winning the 2026 Indiana Collegiate Mathematics Competition, beating 21 teams including powerhouse Notre Dame in their school's first-ever victory.

Chengyu (Mars) Wang, Sihao Wang, and Nam Pham finished with 71.5 points, a full 8.5 points ahead of second-place Notre Dame and more than double the competition average of 34 points. The win is even more remarkable because DePauw only started competing in 2022, while many rival schools have participated for decades.

"DePauw went from never having participated to winning first place within just a few years," said Professor Sutthirut Charoenphon, who brought the competition to campus four years ago. "We competed against and beat institutions with decades of tradition in this event."

Charoenphon's secret weapon isn't intense pressure or grueling practice schedules. Instead, she tells every student the same thing each year: "No pressure to win. Enjoy the math and do your best."

By removing the anxiety, she's created an environment where students actually thrive. The team entered this year's competition relaxed and confident, trusting each other and their preparation.

"We stayed focused on doing our best and performing to our own standard, rather than worrying too much about how other teams might do," Mars Wang said. "I always believed our team had the ability to win, so it was especially rewarding to perform at the level we knew we were capable of under pressure."

The Ripple Effect

This victory sends a powerful message far beyond one competition. Three other DePauw teams also competed, finishing 5th, 10th, and 14th overall, proving the school's math program has built real depth in just four years.

The win shows that smaller schools can compete at the highest levels when given the right support and encouragement. DePauw's name will now appear on the Mathematical Association of America's plaque for the first time in the competition's 60-year history.

"Four years ago, the bigger schools looked past us," Charoenphon said. "Now we've beaten them, and they won't forget DePauw's name."