Kyle Yu advances to National Geographic Bee

Lee Burneson Middle School eighth-grader Kyle Yu, 13, defended his title at the state Geographic Bee on April 4 and will now represent Ohio again at the National Geographic Bee next month in Washington, D.C.

Kyle beat out about 100 other fourth- through-eighth graders for the state title, which he also claimed in 2013. The national finals will be held May 19-21 and the winner will be crowned the 26th National Geographic Bee champion.

Kyle said he studies atlases, likes geography and is ready for this year’s competition. Last year he made it to the tiebreaker round at the national level. He won the state Bee by identifying the Kara Sea as separating the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic Ocean and the Taymyr Peninsula.

School-level winners took a qualifying test and the top 100 scores were named semifinalists and eligible to compete at the state Bee. As the state winner, Kyle received $100, the “Complete National Geographic” on DVD, and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent Ohio in the national finals at the National Geographic Society headquarters. The first-place national winner receives a $50,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, as well as an all-expenses paid trip to the Galapagos Islands.

Preliminary rounds of the national contest will take place May 19. The championship round featuring the top 10 finalists – moderated by award-wining journalist Soledad O’Brien – will be held May 21. The National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild will air the final round of the 2014 National Geographic Bee at 7 p.m. on May 22.

Watch a five-minute video of Kyle Yu posted by National Geographic.

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Volume 6, Issue 8, Posted 10:08 AM, 04.15.2014