Whitney McIntire named Geography Bee school champ

WILTON – Ten student-finalists participated in Academy Hill School’s fourth and fifth grade Geography Bee challenge held on Feb. 1.

The Geography Bee, sponsored each year by the National Geographic, came down to two students, both fourth graders Whitney Ireland McIntire and Judah Wildrick. For the championship, both students answered questions round after round each time it was a tie. The competition had to be postponed until the next day as a result of the end of the school day. The championship round continued on Feb 2. There were three questions in total answered by each student in multiple choice form given by fifth-grade teacher Nancy Ellis.

The first two questions were answered correctly by each student. The third question was answered correctly by McIntire and incorrectly by Wildrick, earning McIntire the school champion of the Geography Bee. She received a National Geographic backpack and a certificate for participation.

McIntire’s award-winning third question was “In what ocean does the Amazon River empty into?” The correct answer she gave was the “Atlantic Ocean.”

McIntire then qualified to take the test for state champion. She took the test at school on Feb. 3. It was a 70-question test that she had one hour to complete. The test needed to be submitted by Feb. 7 in order to qualify to be eligible for state finals. The tests will be graded at a later date and the top scores from around the state of Maine will be invited to compete in April in Portland, Maine, to try to qualify for the national level of Geography Bee to be held in Washington D.C.

Whoever is named the national champion at The National Geographic Geography Bee in Washington D.C receives a $50,000 scholarship.

Whitney McIntire is a fourth grader in Brenda LaVerdiere’s class and is the daughter of Chris and Michelle McIntire of Wilton, who were in attendance at the Bee along with her grandparents and brother.