Category: world geography. Answer: Matthew Newbold, 12, of Layton, who tied for fourth in the National Geography Bee on Wednesday, is the third student in five years from this state to finish in the bee's top 10.
Correct response: Utah - and that's not bad since 6 million students nationwide participated in the bee's preliminary rounds this year."It's great," said a beaming Newbold - who attends Samuel Morgan Elementary School in Kaysville - as he hugged his mother. The finals - hosted by "Jeopardy!" star Alex Trebek - will be televised on PBS, and will air on KUED Channel 7 on Friday at 8 p.m.
If Newbold had finished just one place higher, he would have won a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to London as part of a team representing the United States in an international geography bee.
But for fourth, he still won $500 and a regional round-trip ticket for four on Amtrak - besides the all-expenses paid trip he had already won to Washington for the finals.
A good omen for Newbold may be that this year's winner, Noel Erinjeri of Michigan - who won a $25,000 scholarship, finished fourth last year. "I hope I can return again," he said. His mother, Sharon, added, "He still has two years of eligibility left."
Newbold was one of the youngest in the finals this year in the contest for youth in the fourth through eighth grades. He survived 10 rounds of questioning Wednesday, including coming up with such answers as:
- What country almost totally surrounds Gambia? (Senegal).
- What peninsula in the Black Sea is famous for disputes between Russia and the Ukraine? (The Crimea).
- What largest Central American country was under U.S. control earlier this century? (Nicaragua).
- What river forms much of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe? (Zambezi).
But the two questions he missed - which finally eliminated him - were: What is the only Hindu monarchy in Asia? (Nepal); and what layer of the atmosphere do passenger jets normally travel in? (The stratosphere).
What is Newbold's secret to success? "I read newspapers a lot and watch the news, too. I also study atlases." He said he also travels a lot in the Mountain West, but this was his first trip to the East. Many of his opponents had traveled worldwide.
His mother said she thinks he is successful because "he always loved to put together puzzles. I used to have to hide them. I think that's how it all started."
His mother almost missed watching him in the finals. "We couldn't afford to come out," she said. But after Matthew finished among the top 10 in preliminary rounds on Tuesday, "The National Geographic Society called and said you are coming out - and they footed the bill."
Matthew's teacher, Judith Buchanan, said, "I'm sure he's a hero at the school. When I called them yesterday (to tell them he made the finals), they were all yelling and screaming."