| 9th National Geographic Bee | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 28, 1997 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Alex Kerchner |
| Age | 12 |
| Residence | Kirkland, Washington |
| No. of contestants | 57 |
| Preceded by | 8th National Geographic Bee |
| Followed by | 10th National Geographic Bee |
The 9th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 28, 1997, sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. The winner was Alex Kerchner of Kamiakin Junior High School in Kirkland, Washington, who won a $25,000 college scholarship. The 2nd-place winner, Steve Sreckovic of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, won a $15,000 scholarship. The 3rd-place winner, Justin Mosel of Orchard, Nebraska, won a $10,000 scholarship.
References
- Melody Kramer. "Alex Trebek: On Hosting the National Geographic Bee". National Geographic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013.
- "National Geographic Bee Champions" (PDF). National Geographic. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2016.
- "Kirkland, Wash., boy wins geography bee". upi.com.
- Lara Bain. "13-year-old's talent is all over the map". Seattle Times.
- "Asia Knowledge Helps Geography Whiz, 12, Win National Contest". Los Angeles Times.