FROM STAFF REPORTS

MT LAUREL – Mt Laurel Elementary School crowned its Geographic Bee winner on Jan. 31.

Under the guidance of Sam Scott, 12 student competitors worked diligently for months to prepare for the Geographic Bee.

The MLES runner-up is Hunter Gulledge, and the school champion is fourth grader Ace Poe.

Poe, son of James and Ami Poe, will represent the school in the state competition on March 31 at Samford University.

This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 29th year.

School Bees were held in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. School champions then took a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society.

The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the State Bees.

Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World 4th Edition and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship to be held at National Geographic Society headquarters, May 14-17.

The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, including a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and an all expenses paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavour ll. Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.

Visit NatGeoBee.org for more information on the National Geographic Bee.

The National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD will air the 2017 National Geographic Bee Championship, moderated by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca, on Friday, May 19, at 7 p.m.

Public television stations will broadcast the final round at a later date. Check local television listings for the air date and time in your area.