21st National Geographic Bee

Last updated
21st National Geographic Bee
DateMay 20, 2009
Location Washington, D.C.
WinnerEric Yang
Age13
Residence The Colony, Texas
No. of contestants54
Preceded by 20th National Geographic Bee
Followed by 22nd National Geographic Bee

The 21st National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 2009, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The winner was Eric Yang of Griffin Middle School in The Colony, Texas, who won a $25,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and a trip to the Galápagos Islands with National Geographic Bee moderator and Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The 2nd-place winner was Arjun Kandaswamy of Meadow Park Middle School in Beaverton, Oregon. The 3rd-place winner was Shantan Krovvidi of Ligon Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. [1]

Contents

2009 state champions

StateWinner's NameSchoolCity/TownGradeNotesPlace
Flag of Alabama.svg  Alabama Jonathan Hess Tuscaloosa [2]
Flag of Alaska.svg  Alaska Bethany Lee Anchorage [3]
Flag of Arizona.svg  Arizona Nicholas Farnsworth Flagstaff [4] Top 10
Flag of Arkansas.svg  Arkansas Zacharay Safley Beebe [5]
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg Atlantic Territories?
Flag of California.svg  California Samuel Bressler Fullerton [6]
Flag of Colorado.svg  Colorado Alden Savoca Debeque [7]
Flag of Connecticut.svg  Connecticut Robert Chu Woodbridge [8]
Flag of Delaware.svg  Delaware Varun WadhwaThe Independence School Newark 6th [9]
United States Department of Defense Seal.svg Department of Defense ?
Flag of Washington, D.C.svg  District of Columbia Michael Laskowski Washington [10]
Flag of Florida.svg  Florida Shiva Kangeyan Miami [11] Top 10
Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg  Georgia Pranav BhandarkarMalcom Bridge Middle School Bogart 7th [12]
Flag of Hawaii.svg  Hawaii Alex FagerOur Savior Lutheran School Aiea 7th [13]
Flag of Idaho.svg  Idaho Karthik MouliHillside Junior High School Boise 5th [14]
Flag of Illinois.svg  Illinois Siva Gangavarapu Aurora [15] Top 10
Flag of Indiana.svg  Indiana Ian MarkhamNativity of Our Savior Catholic School Portage 7th [16]
Flag of Iowa.svg  Iowa Luc Moisan Grinnell [17]
Flag of Kansas.svg  Kansas Trevor Eggenberger Bel Aire [18]
Flag of Kentucky.svg  Kentucky Michael Kamer Lexington [19]
Flag of Louisiana (2006-2010).svg  Louisiana Amal De Alwis Hammond [20]
Flag of Maine.svg  Maine Conor Millard Old Town [21]
Flag of Maryland.svg  Maryland Michael Laskowski University Park [22]
Flag of Massachusetts.svg  Massachusetts Zaroug Jaleel Lexington [23] Top 10
Flag of Michigan.svg  Michigan Kenji GolimlimSummit Academy Flat Rock 8th [24] Top 10
Flag of Minnesota.svg  Minnesota Cody BairdJackson Middle School Champlin [25]
Flag of Mississippi (2001-2020).svg  Mississippi William Johnston Diamondhead [26]
Flag of Missouri.svg  Missouri Eric MatthewsEl Dorado Springs Middle School El Dorado Springs [27]
Flag of Montana.svg  Montana Thomas Culver Helena [28]
Flag of Nebraska.svg  Nebraska Erik Ingram Bellevue [29]
Flag of Nevada.svg  Nevada Alexander WadeDavidson Academy Reno 5th [30]
Flag of New Hampshire.svg  New Hampshire Cooper Lecza Bedford [31]
Flag of New Jersey.svg  New Jersey Roey Hadar Fair Haven [32]
Flag of New Mexico.svg  New Mexico Nicholas Anderson Albuquerque [33]
Flag of New York.svg  New York Aidan Langston Brooklyn [34]
Flag of North Carolina.svg  North Carolina Shantan KrovvidiLigon Middle School Raleigh [35] 3rd
Flag of North Dakota.svg  North Dakota Casey Murphy Carrington [36]
Flag of Ohio.svg  Ohio Nick Merchant Dublin [37]
Flag of Oklahoma.svg  Oklahoma Nathan Thompson Edmond [38]
Flag of Oregon.svg  Oregon Arjun KandaswamyMeadow Park Middle School Beaverton [39] 2nd
Flag of American Samoa.svg Flag of Guam.svg Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg Pacific Territories?
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg  Pennsylvania Henry GlitzSt. Bernard School Pittsburgh [40]
Flag of Rhode Island.svg  Rhode Island Oliver LucierCurtis Corner Middle School Wakefield 7th [41]
Flag of South Carolina.svg  South Carolina Luke Porter Columbia [42]
Flag of South Dakota.svg  South Dakota Alex KimnGeorge S. Mickelson Middle School Brookings 6th [43]
Flag of Tennessee.svg  Tennessee Joseph Peterson Memphis [44]
Flag of Texas.svg  Texas Eric YangGriffin Middle School The Colony [45] Champion
Flag of Utah.svg  Utah Kennen Sparks Kaysville [46] Top 10
Flag of Vermont.svg  Vermont Roger Danilek Norwich [47]
Flag of Virginia.svg  Virginia Sidharth Verma Herndon [48]
Flag of Washington.svg  Washington Benjamin Salman Seattle [49]
Flag of West Virginia.svg  West Virginia Jacob RamthunAthens Elementary Athens [50]
Flag of Wisconsin.svg  Wisconsin Vansh JainMinocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk Elementary Minocqua 5th [51] Top 10
Flag of Wyoming.svg  Wyoming Kirsi Anselmi-Stith Rock Springs [52]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Geographic Bee</span> Geography competition held in American schools

The National Geographic GeoBee was an annual geography contest sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The bee, held annually from 1989 to 2019, was open to students in the fourth through eighth grades in participating schools from the United States.

The 27th National Geographic Bee was held on May 11–13, 2015 in Washington, District of Columbia. It is sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Soledad O'Brien was the host for the second and final time. The winner was Karan Menon of John Adams Middle School in Edison, New Jersey, who won $50,000 in scholarships, a trip for 2 to the Galapagos Islands, and a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society. The runner-up was Shriya Yarlagadda of Grand Blanc East Middle School in Grand Blanc, Michigan who won a $25,000 scholarship. The Third place winner was Sojas Wagle of Springdale, Arkansas, who won $10,000 in scholarships. Finishing in 4th place was Tejas Badgujar of Pennsylvania. The competition started with the school level rounds, in which more than 5 million students competed in 11,000 schools across the nation. Other students who placed in the top ten include Kapil Nathan of Alabama, Nicholas Monahan of Idaho, Patrick Taylor of Iowa, Abhinav Karthikeyan of Maryland, Lucy Chae of Massachusetts, and Shreyas Varathan of Minnesota. The Florida State Champion, Rishi Nair, became the 2016 National Geographic Bee Champion. The winners of the school bees then took a written qualification test to see who could qualify for the state level competition. The top 100 or so scorers on the qualification test in each state were selected to go for the state championship. The winners of the state championship would then get $100 in cash, a National Geographic 10th Edition Atlas, and the opportunity to represent their state in the National Finals held in Washington, DC.

The 28th annual National Geographic Bee was held between May 22–25, 2016 in Washington, DC. For the first time, the bee was moderated by the American humorist, journalist and actor Mo Rocca and featured a grand prize of a $50,000 college scholarship. The champion was Rishi Nair of Williams Magnet Middle School in Tampa, Florida, who won the $50,000 scholarship, lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society, and a Lindblad expedition to southeast Alaska. The 2nd-place winner was Saketh Jonnalagadda of Stony Brook Middle School in Westford, Massachusetts, who won a $25,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner was Kapil Nathan of Brock's Gap Intermediate School in Hoover, Alabama, who won a $10,000 scholarship. Rishi was also the First sixth-grade National Champion since 2008.

The 20th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2008, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Akshay Rajagopal of Lincoln, Nebraska, who won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The 2nd-place winner, Hunter Bledsoe of Alabama, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, William Lee of Joyce Middle School in Woburn, Massachusetts, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 19th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2007, sponsored by the National Geographic Society.

The 18th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 2006, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Bonny Jain of Moline, Illinois, who won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The 2nd-place winner, Neeraj Sirdeshmukh of Nashua, New Hampshire, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Yeshwanth Kandimalla of Marietta, Georgia, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 17th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 25, 2005, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Nathan Cornelius, a homeschooled student from Cottonwood, Minnesota, who won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The 2nd-place winner, Karan Takhar of the Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Samuel Brandt of Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 16th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 2004, sponsored by the National Geographic Society and ING. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Andrew Wojtanik of Kansas, who won a $25,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and a trip to a Busch Gardens/Sea World Adventure Camp. The 2nd-place winner, Matthew Wells of Montana, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Eric Liaw of Hawaii, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 15th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2003, sponsored by the National Geographic Society and ING. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was James Williams, a homeschooled student from Vancouver, Washington, who won a $25,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and a trip to a Busch Gardens/Sea World Adventure Camp. The 2nd-place winner, Dallas Simons of Martin Luther King Magnet School in Nashville, Tennessee, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Sean Rao of St. Gabriel School in Hubertus, Wisconsin, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 13th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2001, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Kyle Haddad-Fonda of Shoreline, Washington, who won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The 2nd-place winner, Nick Jachowski of Makawao, Hawaii, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Jason Ferguson of Dallas, Texas, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 12th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 2000, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Felix Peng of Elisabeth Adams Middle School in Guilford, Connecticut, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, George Thampy, of St. Louis, Missouri, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Jonathan Janus, of Ravenel, South Carolina, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 11th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 1999, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was David Beihl, a homeschooled student from Saluda, South Carolina, who won a $25,000 college scholarship and an all-expense-paid trip to Australia. The 2nd-place winner, Jason Borschow of St. John's School in Condado, Puerto Rico, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Tanveer Ali of Flint, Michigan, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 10th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 1998, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Petko Peev of Forest Hills Central Middle School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, J. B. Kizer of Portsmouth, Ohio, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Evan Sparks of Westminster Academy in Memphis, Tennessee, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 9th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 28, 1997, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Alex Kerchner of Kamiakin Junior High School in Kirkland, Washington, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Steve Sreckovic of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Justin Mosel of Orchard, Nebraska, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 8th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 29, 1996, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Seyi Fayanju of Henry B. Whitehorne Middle School in Verona, New Jersey, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Ryan Bean of Augusta, Maine, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Matthew Conway of El Reno, Oklahoma, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 7th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 31, 1995, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Chris Galeczka of Bemis Junior High School in Sterling Heights, Michigan, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Aaron Wenzel of Freeport Junior High School in Freeport, Illinois, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Brendan Gordon, a homeschooled student from Moscow, Idaho, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 4th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 1992, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Lawson Fite of Shumway Middle School in Vancouver, Washington, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Geoffrey Hatchard of Cresco, Pennsylvania, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Michael Sherback of North Easton, Massachusetts, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 2nd National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 1990, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Susannah Batko-Yovino of the Washington-Jefferson School in Altoona, Pennsylvania, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Tim Forest of C.J. Hooker Middle School in Goshen, New York, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Martin Hohner of Luther Burbank School in Chicago, Illinois, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 1st National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 1989, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Jack Staddon of Great Bend Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School in Great Bend, Kansas, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Michael Shannon of Reading, Massachusetts, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Kieu Luu of Riverdale, Maryland, won a $10,000 scholarship.

The 31st annual National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., and hosted by Mo Rocca. It is sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The State Bees were held on March 29, where the 54 finalists were determined. The 2019 Champion, Nihar Janga, received a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society, and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad Expedition for two to the Galápagos Islands. This was to be the last GeoBee, as National Geographic made the decision to end the competition, after canceling the 2020 and 2021 National Geographic Bees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

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