Participants from left, Sarah Kottke, Lexie Groebner Dalton Langseth, Jordyn Plaster, Christopher Thram, Nick Peterson, Connor Scholten, James Coffland. Middle row: Andrew Baumann, Curtis Tauer, Karena Johnson, Meriah Kirschstein, Ethan Langseth, Kendall Kelly, John Ombaye and Ethan Johnson. Back: Jennifer Cook, Hunter Mathiowetz, Sarah Dunn, Elijah Kirschstein.

Students compete in Geography Bee

Final 4 in Geog-raphy Bee Springfield Public School Seventh-graders James Coffland and Curtis Tauer and eighth-graders Jennifer Cook and Elijah Kirschstein qualified for championship competition during the 2015 National Geography Bee School Level Competition Friday. Elijah Kirschstein won the championship in 13 rounds.

Twenty students from grades 4-8 at Springfield Public School participated in the 2015 National Geography Bee School Level Competition January 16.

The 20 students were determined by a preliminary test with four of the top-scoring students from grades 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 competing in the local bee that was conducted in the performing arts auditorium Friday afternoon. The geography bee was performed similar to a spelling bee with rounds of oral questions, as well as rounds where students all had the same questions and they wrote their answers on white boards, and other rounds answering questions regarding maps.

The students went seven rounds until determining the final four — eighth-graders Jennifer Cook and Elijah Kirschstein and seventh-graders James Coffland and Curtis Tauer.  After eight rounds, Elijah was the first to qualify for championship competition. The others went five more rounds with Elijah Kirschstein and Jennifer Cook competing in the  championship round.

Elijah won the Geography Bee Championship by answering the following question: National Geographic Explorer Shivani Bhalla works with warriors in the local Samburu community to protect lions south of Lake Turkana in which African country? Answer: Kenya.

The champion has the opportunity to advance to the State Geography Bee 

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