Alabama sixth-grader annihilated most of the competition at the National Geographic Bee

WASHINGTON – Another brilliant Alabama student has won recognition for his performance in a national knowledge competition.

The same week that Huntsville native Erin Howard made it to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, 12-year-old Kapil Nathan of Hoover came in third place at the 28th annual National Geographic Bee. First place went to 12-year-old Florida native Rishi Nair, and 14-year-old Saketh Jonnalagadda of Massachusetts came in second. Nathan, a sixth-grader at Brock’s Gap Intermediate School in Hoover, was the only one of this year’s finalists to reach the top ten in consecutive years, which is a rare occurrence.

To win the top prize, Nair correctly answered “Lake Kivu” when given the question, “Which East African lake that drains into the Ruzizi River contains large quantities of dissolved methane gas that could generate electricity for millions of people?” He won a $50,000 scholarship, an all-expenses-paid trip to Alaska and Glacier Bay National Park and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. For coming in third, Nathan received a $10,000 scholarship.

“These kids aren’t just smart, they care about the world,” said journalist, humorist, and host Mo Rocca.

To make it to the finals, Nathan had to endure tough preliminary rounds with 53 other state-level champions. This year’s competition started with over two and a half million contestants in over 11,000 schools across the United States. Students in grades four through eight are eligible to enter the competition. The finals took place at the National Geographic Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The National Geographic Bee tests students’ knowledge of maps, borders, culture, history, and inspires them to be curious about the world. The Bee is designed as a game show with a unique scoring system and often unpredictable questions.