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Jed Boal ReportingMost of us simply aren't as smart as we ought to be when it comes to world knowledge. And even if we think we’re pretty good, today there was a room full of young students that seemed to have most of the right answers.
There were tough questions for smart kids who know more than the capitals of the states and the countries of the world. 100 Utah students fourth through eighth grade were whittled down to the final ten, then eight, then five.
Zane Li of Centennial Middle School in Provo is a three-time competitor in the Geographic Bee; he made it to the final two. He preps by doing a lot of reading.
Zane Li: “I like reading Newsweek and logging on to CNN.com."
The kids were cool under pressure. Parents were proud and anxious. And the state championship came down to a question for Zane Li and Derek Wells, of Price. -- Derek Wells was the champ two years ago.
Derek Wells, Geography Bee Champ: “I pull out the atlas. It gets stuck in my head. I'm not so good in English."
Paula Wells, Derek's Mom: “He stumps me all the time, what he's talking about."
