Star Valley Middle School Student Tops National Geographic State Bee

Star Valley Middle School eighth-grader Preston Buehler, from Afton, won the 30th anniversary edition of the National Geographic State Bee in Casper Friday, April 6. It was Buehler’s second straight state geography bee title.

Sponsored by the Wyoming Geographic Alliance and the University of Wyoming Department of Geography, and in partnership with National Geographic, 50 fourth- through eighth-graders competed in the daylong competition.

As the Wyoming winner, Buehler is now eligible for the national competition at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 20-23.

Casper’s Isaac Watkins, a Woods Learning Center eighth-grade student, was the Wyoming state runner-up, and Aidan Coberly, an Upton Middle School eighth-grade student, placed third.

Besides Buehler, Watkins and Coberly, the other top 10 finalists and their hometown schools were:

-- Ethan Buermann, Sage Valley Junior High School, Gillette, seventh grade.

-- Megan Eberle, UW Lab School, Laramie, eighth grade.

-- Thomas Faber, Laramie Middle School, eighth grade.

-- Maggie Daniel, Etna Elementary School, Green River, sixth grade.

-- Brandon Logan, Summit Elementary School, Casper, fifth grade.

-- Jake Massar, Tongue River Middle School, Ranchester, eighth grade.

-- Andrew Neuendorf, Baldwin Creek Elementary School, Lander, fifth grade.

For more information about the state geography bee, call Jacqueline Shinker, UW Department of Geography associate professor, at (307) 766-3320 or email jshinker@uwyo.edu.