Monday, April 12, 2010

Almanacs State Geographic Bee is where it's at - Tacoma News Tribune

Almanacs State Geographic Bee is where it's at - Tacoma News Tribune

State Geographic Bee is where it's at - Tacoma News Tribune

Posted: 10 Apr 2010 02:20 AM PDT

After studying every almanac at home for most of a year, Alec Sjoholm found himself in Parkland, of all places – his legacy as a geography whiz hanging on a question about a South Pacific island.

"The island of Rapa Nui," the state Geographic Bee moderator read aloud Friday, "is more commonly referred to by what English language name?"

Alec, a sixth-grader from Terrace Park Elementary in Mountlake Terrace, had to wait.

His opponent, Alex Quast of Olympia, offered his answer first.

"Sri Lanka?" Nope.

Then Alec, 11, strode to the microphone.

"Easter Island," he said coolly in front of about 400 people on the edge of their seats at Pacific Lutheran University.

Of course he was right. It was just like the almanac said.

With that, Alec cemented himself as the 2010 state champion, earning $100, the "National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World" and an all-expenses-trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals May 25-26.

It was the culmination of a long year for 100 fourth- to eighth-graders who had won school-level geography bees across the state.

This year's top 10 finalists were all boys. Friday's questions pushed them to their geographic limits, testing their academic endurance and encyclopedic strength.

The Quad Cities region is split between Iowa and what state to its east? (Illinois)

Which country is bordered by Ecuador and Chile? (Peru)

What country in the Americas is second to the U.S. in meat production? (Brazil)

After an hour and a half, the field was whittled to Alec and Alex, the only finalist from the South Sound. Jacob Shore, an eighth-grader at Woodward Middle School on Bainbridge Island, took third.

It was a tough finish for the runner-up, who attends Griffin School in Olympia. He missed a question early in the competition but reeled off a half dozen consecutive correct answers to make it to the championship round.

Alec got a $75 check, which his mother, Karen Ehler, says will help pay for his school band trip to Disneyland.

Al Zimmerman, who moderated the event, said Washington has a strong history of geography champions.

Alec will now follow in their footsteps to nationals. The U.S. champion will receive a $25,000 scholarship and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Galapagos Islands.

But all that comes next month. On Friday, Alec raised both arms after his victory and enjoyed the spoils of his winnings: shaking hands with starry-eyed fans.

It was just as sweet for his father, Chris Sjoholm.

"I'm on cloud nine," his father said while hugging his son.

And to think, it might not have been possible without the family almanacs.

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653

brent.champaco@thenewstribune.com

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