From oceans, continents, and countries to islands, states, and cities, the full MICDS Middle School recently took part in the annual Geography Bee, which culminated in a final competition on Tuesday, March 4. Earlier in the semester, all fifth through eighth-grade students took a pre-test to determine the top eight scores in each grade level. Each grade level then hosted its own Bee to determine the two top-scoring students. Then, the two top scorers from each grade level gathered in Mary Eliot Chapel on Tuesday for the final rounds of the 2025 MICDS Middle School GeoBee.
The bee was moderated by Michael Fitzgerald (Fitz), Middle School History Teacher, and judged by Middle School History Teachers Berta Simic and Blake Whitney as well as Middle School Math Teacher Cameron Youngman. Congratulations to the following contestants, two from each grade level in the Middle School, who made it to the final competition:
- Lucas Li ’32
- Brenda Huang ’32
- Jack Corcoran ’31
- Cooper Dalton ’31
- Spencer Kriegel ’30
- Brody Hannah ’30
- Ashton Constantine ’26
- Max Fehniger ’29
In the first round, each student answered the same 10 questions on paper. After the question was repeated twice, contestants had 15 seconds to record their answers. At the end of the 15 seconds, each student handed their written answer to the judges. After all participants answered, Fitz revealed the correct answer. At the end of the 10 questions, the two students with the highest scores advanced to the Championship Round. A big congratulations to Huang and Kriegel for making it to the final round of the competition!
The Championship Round consisted of three questions. The moderator asked both finalists the same question at the same time, and they had 15 seconds to write down their answers. Once “time” was called, the competitors put down their markers and held up their answers. Each read their answer out loud. Then, the moderator gave the correct answer. Whoever correctly answered the most questions in the set of three was declared the school champion.
Congratulations to the 2025 MICDS Middle School Geography Bee winner, Spencer Kriegel! After shaking Huang’s hand, Kriegel signed the famous globe trophy, where past Middle School Rams have inscribed their name to signify their accomplishment. Way to go, Spencer, and congratulations to all who participated in the Bee!
“The GeoBee provides our students with a fantastic opportunity to showcase their knowledge of world geography,” said Whitney. “The competition began in each history class and gradually narrowed to today’s eight finalists. One unfortunate loss during the pandemic was National Geographic discontinuing its sponsorship of the Bee, but as a history department, we believed it was too valuable to lose. We created our own version to keep the tradition alive. Congratulations to Spencer for winning!”
“I love seeing students from all four Middle School grade levels compete, and I’m always especially impressed by the composure of our fifth and sixth graders,” added Simic. “It’s wonderful to witness the enthusiasm of the audience and the way they rally behind their classmates.”
Youngman shared, “The GeoBee is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge. For the past two years, I have been impressed by the students who have made it to the final round! Mr. Whitney and Ms. Simic did a great job organizing the competition. It’s no small task to put this together and have the final competition done in 30 minutes.”
Want to test out your knowledge in geography? Here are the 10 questions asked in Round 1 (See answers at bottom of page):
- Trade winds often create clouds just below the summit of Haleakalā Crater in which state?
- Cumberland Gap, a mountain pass in the Appalachians, lies near the juncture of Kentucky, Tennessee, and what other state?
- El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. This rain forest is on which U.S.-controlled island in the Greater Antilles?
- The Colosseum and Piazza Navona are popular tourist sites in which European capital city?
- A long border separates Russia from what Nordic country that is the most densely forested in Europe?
- Muscat is the capital of what country on the Arabian Peninsula?
- The Uruguay River lies on the eastern border of which country?
- The islands of Bermuda, located in the Atlantic Ocean, are administered by what country?
- The Indus River, one of the longest rivers in South Asia, empties into what sea?
- What country in Central America is the largest by area?
Here are the final three questions that were asked in the Championship Round:
- The Three Gorges Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric power stations in the world, is located on what river that flows into the East China Sea.
- Iowa and Missouri both share long boundaries with what other state on the Mississippi River?
- The Seikan Tunnel connects the island of Hokkaido with what other Japanese island?
Round 1 Answers: 1. Hawaii, 2. Virginia, 3. Puerto Rico, 4. Rome, 5. Finland, 6. Oman, 7. Argentina, 8. United Kingdom (Also acceptable: Great Britain, Britain), 9. Arabian Sea, 10. Nicaragua
Championship Round Answers: 1. Yangtze River (Also acceptable: Chang Jiang), 2. Illinois, 3. Honshu