A Record For The Most Twins

11-year-old twins Luke and Ryan from Illinois had a goal. The six graders wanted to set a world record. Some of their classmates had already tried to jump on a pogo stick longer than anyone else had. A student have even attempted to produce the loudest burp. But none of them came close.

          That was when Luke and Ryan realized that there were many other twins in their grade at Highcrest Middle School. They did a full count, and were pleased to discover there were 24 set of twins in all but most of the twins were non-identical. Out of these 24 sets of twins three are boy-boy, 11 are girl-girl, and 10 are boy-girl. There were only two pairs that were identical twins-all girls.

          "We were absolutely shock," Nancy Fendly, Luke and Ryan's mother said. The boys now figure out their world record: most pair of twins in one grade. The current record is 16 pairs, and is shared by Valley Southwoods Freshman High School in Iowa, Staples High School in Connecticut, and Maine South High School in Illinois.

          Earlier this year, Luke and Ryan sent an application to Guniess World Record with help from their parents. They added birth certificates, photos, and proof that all of the sets of twin attend Highcrest Middle School. They expect to hear back in several weeks on whether they actually set a new world record. "The whole school think it's the greatest thing. It's been such a fun, creative experience," said Nancy Fendley.

          Since 1980, twin birth rates have doubled in the United States, according to CDC (Centers for Disease Control). The ages of mother has gone up over the years, and women in their 30's have a greater chance of giving birth to twins. In 2009, one in every 30 babies are born twins, compared with one in 53 babies in 1980. For Highcrest Middle School, that rise in twin births could be a ticket into record books.

          I think that it is awesome that the students at Highcrest Middle School research to discover great honor of Highcrest Middle School. It's a amazing thing that in one grade there could be 24 sets of twins in there. It's a pretty cool thing because I have a set of twin boys in the family. But sometimes it can get out of hand.