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National Geographic Bee: State Winners Advance |
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Josh Wentz for National Geographic News |
| April 5, 2004 |
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The U.S. state-level competitions of the National Geographic Bee have concluded. The winners will be moving on to the finals at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., on May 25 and 26. The state competitions were completed on Friday, producing winners from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Pacific Territories, and the overseas U.S. Department of Defense schools. Ten of the winners will be returning to the national competition for a second time. Pop Quiz: Test yourself with questions from the Bee. Mary Lee Elden, director of the National Geographic Bee, said the state Bee competitions were outstanding. "The level of the competition when it gets down to the final two for the championship round is top-notch. These students have a real interest in the world around them, and it shows," she said. One of the competitors, eighth grader Lindsey McCloy from Hunters Creek Middle School in Jacksonville, North Carolina, received a surprise call before competing in her state's competition. Her father, Lt. Col. Darrin McCloy, is serving in Baghdad, Iraq, and called to wish his daughter good luck. Of the 55 state winners, only 4 were female (the Arkansas, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania victors), continuing a pattern of mostly male winners in the Bee, according to Elden. However, the Bee staff "will continue to encourage parents and teachers to reach out to their daughters and female students, highlighting the fact that geography is for everyone," she said. Now anticipation is building for the national competition, and the students never seem to disappoint. "The national finals are always an amazing competition. To see these students answer questions that deal with economic, cultural, physical—all sorts of geography—one can see that it is not just rote memorization," Elden said. The students deserve all of the attention paid to them during the competition, Elden continued. "It is important to showcase these students and their knowledge of the world. Trophies, prizes, and scholarships are given for football, soccer, basketball, et cetera. Why not geographic knowledge?" Elden had an important message for those who have won the right to compete in the national finals: "Only one will win the main prize, but they are already all winners." 2004 National Geographic Bee: State Winners Alabama: William Moody, Lee-Scott Academy, Auburn Alaska: Peter Stanton, Schoenbar Middle School, Ketchikan Arizona: Troy Schilperoort, home school, Prescott Arkansas: Sydney Rasch, Cabot Junior High South, Cabot California: Ryland Lu, Pressman Academy, Los Angeles Colorado: Jesse Morzel, Centennial Middle School, Boulder Connecticut: Barrett Kenney, Haddam-Killingworth Middle School, Higganum Delaware: David Bradshaw, Delmar Middle & Senior High School, Delmar Department of Defense Schools: Matthew Duncan, Yokosuka Middle School, Yokosuka, Japan District of Columbia: Benjamin Horkley, Lafayette Elementary, Washington Florida: Hans F. Von Walter, Walker Memorial Academy, Avon Park Georgia: Robert Nuttall, Renfroe Middle School, Decatur Hawaii: Eric Liaw, Punahou Junior High, Honolulu Idaho: Jordan Lofthouse, Madison Junior High School, Rexburg Illinois: Yangbo Du, Dunlap Middle School, Dunlap Indiana: Mark OMalley, Zion Lutheran Academy, Fort Wayne Iowa: Mattias Gassman, home school, Ames Kansas: Andrew Wojtanik, Lakewood Middle School, Overland Park Kentucky: William Tamplin, Meyzeek Middle School, Louisville Louisiana: Thimal De Alwis, SLU Lab School, Hammond Maine: Otis Wortley, Greely Junior High School, Cumberland Center Maryland: Justin Lane, Trinity School, Ellicott City Massachusetts: Krishnan Chandra, Andover West Middle School, Andover Michigan: Jamie Ding, Parcells Middle School, Grosse Pointe Woods Minnesota: Nathan Cornelius, home school, Cottonwood Mississippi: Ryan Ezelle, Union Junior High School, Union Missouri: John Mikitish, South Valley Middle School, Liberty Montana: Matthew Wells, Headwaters Academy, Bozeman Nebraska: Jordan Klimek, Burwell Junior-Senior High, Burwell Nevada: Paige dePolo, Little Flower School, Reno New Hampshire: Matthew Savage, Monadnock Area Cooperative School, Hancock New Jersey: Roman Soiko, Community Middle School, Plainsboro New Mexico: Martin Hussey, Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque New York: Sam Himel, Collegiate School, New York North Carolina: Lindsey McCloy, Hunters Creek Middle School, Jacksonville North Dakota: Michael Delaney, Ben Franklin Junior High School, Fargo Ohio: Gautham Senthilkumar, Bowling Green Junior High School, Bowling Green Oklahoma: Christopher Chesny, Will Rogers Junior High School, Claremore Oregon: Samuel Brandt, Roosevelt Middle School, Eugene Pacific Territories: Jacob Nystrom, McCool Elementary/Middle School, Apra Heights, Guam Pennsylvania: Olivia Colangelo, Franklin Regional Middle School, Murrysville Puerto Rico: Fernando Torre, Carribbean School, Ponce Rhode Island: Karan Takhar, The Gordon School, East Providence South Carolina: Daniel Metzger, home school, Charleston South Dakota: Nicholas Truelson, home school, Sioux Falls Tennessee: Hunter Ripley, Robertsville Middle School, Oak Ridge Texas: Ryan Avery, Dan F. Long Middle School, Dallas Utah: Derek Wells, Pinnacle Canyon Academy, Helper Vermont: Jonathan Martin, Camels Hump Middle School, Richmond Virgin Islands: David James, St. Croix Country Day, Kingshill Virginia: Naren Tallapragada, Nysmith School, Herndon Washington: Cory Sweers, home school, Auburn West Virginia: Jason Hartley, Pleasants County Middle School, Belmont Wisconsin: Bo Sun, Ladysmith Middle School, Ladysmith Wyoming: Doyle Evins, Douglas Middle School, Douglas |
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