Home state: Washington

Kyle Haddad-Fonda, 14, of Shoreline, Washington, is this year’s National Geographic Bee champion. Second place went to 14-year-old Nick Jachowski, of Makawao, Hawaii, and third place was Jason Ferguson of Dallas, Texas.

Kyle is in the 8th grade at The Evergreen School in Shoreline. This was his third trip to the National Geographic Bee finals, as he was also the Washington state champion in 1999 and 2000. He is interested in protecting all sites of antiquity. He plays the classical harp and runs track.

Winning question: Below the equilibrium line of glaciers there is a region of melting, evaporation, and sublimation. Name this zone.

Answer: zone of ablation

2001 State and Territory Champions

Alabama
Phillip Graves
Daphne

Alaska
Rachel Schuerger
Ketchikan

Arizona
Paul Ruffner
Prescott

Arkansas
Kyle Macfarlan
Gentry

California
Fedor Manin
Palo Alto

Colorado
Nathan McNew
Broomfield

Connecticut
Sam Krumholz
Guilford

Delaware
Ramsey Furse
Lewes

Department of Defense Dependents Schools
Ryan Felix
Italy

District of Columbia
Benjamin Rothenberg
Washington, D.C.

Florida
Aaron Kiersh
Boca Raton

Georgia
Robert McRae
Barnesville

Hawaii
Nicholas Jachowski
Makawao

Idaho
Alexander Price
Boise

Illinois
David Westlake
Mount Prospect

Indiana
Erik Bolt
South Bend

Iowa
Conor Bresnan
Indianola

Kansas
Benjamin Detrixhe
Clyde

Kentucky
Alexander Morgan
Benton

Louisiana
Joe Henry Legan
Bossier City

Maine
Morgan Kerr
Islesboro

Maryland
Michael Ruthenberg-Marshall
Potomac

Massachusetts
Jay Ben Markson
Lakeville

Michigan
Alex Lane
Traverse City

Minnesota
Erik Johnson
Duluth

Mississippi
James Alfred Flippin
Jackson

Missouri
Timothy Schisler
St. Louis

Montana
Caleb Harris
Missoula

Nebraska
Desereé Johnston
Orchard

Nevada
Jim Hoffman
Las Vegas

New Hampshire
James Lou
Nashua

New Jersey
Alex Alferiev
Blackwood

New Mexico
Peter Indall
Santa Fe

New York
Michael Oh
East Amherst

North Carolina
Phillip Golladay
Matthews

North Dakota
John Rice
Maddock

Ohio
Bill Isaacs
Westerville

Oklahoma
Matt Pargeter
Tulsa

Oregon
Alexander King
Eugene

Pacific Territories
Matthew Spencer
Guam

Pennsylvania
Thomas Grant
Orefield

Puerto Rico
Daniel Beaver
Mayaguez

Rhode Island
Alex Pytka
Cumberland

South Carolina
Thomas Beihl
Saluda

South Dakota
Zachary Abrahamson
Rapid City

Tennessee
David Bell
Newport

Texas
Jason Ferguson
Dallas

Utah
Daniel Blatter
Salt Lake City

Vermont
Sean O’Hara
Rutland

Virgin Islands
Maxwell Hoffman
St. Thomas

Virginia
Bradley Blomstrom
Falls Church

Washington
Kyle Haddad-Fonda
Shoreline

West Virginia
Paul Volpe
Wheeling

Wisconsin
Sean Rao
Hubertus

Wyoming
Adam Towler
Laramie