Local youths qualify for state geography contest

Eleven students from Northwest Montana have qualified for the National Geographic Bee’s state competition.

To make it to the state level, competitors in fourth through eighth grades had to first win geography bees at their schools. The top finishers at the schools qualified to take a written geography test; the top 100 test scores in Montana were chosen as state finalists.

The state competition takes place April 9 at Montana State University-Billings.

The winner will receive $100, the National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World, and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where the National Geographic Bee championship takes place May 25 and 26.

The following students from northwest Montana are state qualifiers:

n Nicholas Barr, seventh grade, Olney-Bissell School.

n Lauren Bridges, sixth grade, Kalispell Montessori.

n Heather Fantino, seventh grade, Fair-Mont-Egan.

n Emily Getts, sixth grade, Columbia Falls Junior High.

n William Kittelson, seventh grade, Kila School.

n Christian Langston, seventh grade, Eureka Middle School.

n Connor Murphy, seventh grade, Mission Valley Home Educators.

n Gavin Pirrie, seventh grade, St. Matthew’s School.

n Aggie Putnam, fourth grade, Flathead Home Educators Association.

n Erich Trickel, eighth grade, Ronan Middle School.

n Devon Zander, eighth grade, Kalispell Middle School.