Cray Research is Corporate 
Mardi Schmieder, 612/683-3538

CRAY RESEARCH IS CORPORATE SPONSOR OF
MATHCOUNTS

"Mathletes" From Minnesota, Wisconsin To Compete in
Weekend Event Beginning Tomorrow

Eagan, Minn., April 29, 1993 -- The Cray Research
Foundation, the charitable contributions arm of Eagan-
based supercomputer manufacturer Cray Research, Inc., is a
major corporate sponsor of MATHCOUNTS, a national grass-
roots math coaching and competition program that
promotes 7th and 8th grade math achievement.  Eight local
students -- four from Minnesota and four from Wisconsin --
will compete in this weekend's national competition in
Alexandria, Va.  This is Cray Research's fifth year of
supporting the competition; the company's foundation has
donated $82,500 to the 1992-93 event.

"Our commitment to MATHCOUNTS throughout the past five
years helps fulfill the Cray Research Foundation strategy of
supporting key national science and mathematics education
programs," said John Carlson, chairman and chief executive
officer for Cray Research and the company's foundation.
"MATHCOUNTS plays a unique role in the nationwide effort
to increase mathematics achievement among our nation's
youth."

The MATHCOUNTS competition provides students with the
challenge of a sporting event; the program targets 7th and
8th grade students to reach them at a time critical in their
development and interest in math.  To qualify for the
national competition, student "mathletes" advance through
local and state competition.  More than 17,000 volunteers --
including teachers and engineers -- have coached students
and sponsored competitions.  Since the beginning of the
1992-93 academic year, more than 7,200 schools and
300,000 students participated nationwide in the
MATHCOUNTS program.  This year's 224 finalists represent
all states and U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and
U.S. Defense Department and State Department dependent
schools worldwide.

Throughout the weekend competition, students will
compete in written and oral events as teams and
individuals.  Ten students will qualify to compete for the
title of national champion based on their individual scores.
These students will meet in the final "Countdown Round," a
fast-paced, game-show-like competition where finalists
have up to 45 seconds to solve each problem, hit the buzzer
and answer correctly.  This year's national MATHCOUNTS
champion wins a gold medal, an $8,000 scholarship, a
personal computer and a week at U.S. Space Camp in
Huntsville, Ala.

Since 1983, MATHCOUNTS has reached more than three
million students.  The program's other national sponsors
are CNA Insurance Companies, National Society of
Professional Engineers, General Motors Foundation, Texas
Instruments Incorporated, National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics, and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.

Cray Research creates the most powerful, highest-quality
computational tools for solving the world's most
challenging scientific and industrial problems.

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