Zachery Dubisz of Alpine, an eighth-grader at Star Valley Middle School, took top honors Friday at the 2010 Wyoming state-level Geography Bee, held at the University of Wyoming Conference Center.
He won $100, a tuition scholarship to UW, a National Geographic atlas and an all expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the May 27 national finals and the chance to be crowned National Geographic Bee champion.
Sean Taylor of Worland placed second and last year's winner, Kirsi Anselmi-Stith of Rock Springs, took third.
Other students in the top 10 finals were:
Big Horn -- Andrew Schuster.
Big Piney -- Dwaine Kenney.
Douglas -- Timothy Uttenhoue.
Encampment -- David Flauding.
Gillette -- Colter Bell.
Laramie -- Ella DeWolf.
Sheridan -- Tyler Julian.
In each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Dependents Schools and the United States territories, the National Geographic Society invited the students with the top 100 scores to compete at the state level.
First prize in the national competition is a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.
The National Geographic Society developed the National Geographic Bee in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject and increase public awareness about geography.
Schools with students in grades four through eight are eligible for this test of geographic knowledge.
