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The final round of the North Branch Area Middle School Geography Bee was held Wednesday, Dec. 14. Students competing for the title of school champion were Bryant Meyer, Conrad Almendinger, James Collins, Isaiah Sistrunk, Samantha McPherson, Jessica Hinrichs, Levi Gomes, Tiana Lenzmeier, Michael Fiskewold, and Greta Dupslaff.

The tension was high as the competition persisted, but finally two students made it to the championship round; Bryant Meyer and Greta Dupslaff.

Meyer and Dupslaff forced the competition into a tie breaker, and on the third tie break question Greta correctly answered to win the school bee. Dupslaff will now attempt to qualify for state competition by completing a 70 question written test that she will take after Christmas break. If she finishes in the top 100 students in the state, she will compete for the state title in April. The winning question and answer was: Name the thick layer of Earth's interior that lies between the crust and the core. Answer: Mantle. Geography Bee is a national competition that encourages students to get excited about and interested in geography.

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