NORTH SALT LAKE -- Seventeen fourth-grade students at Foxboro Elementary School picked up their lunches and headed to the geography bee.
It was the first time the young students would have the opportunity to test their knowledge of world geography in a competition.
Fifth- and sixth-grade students also are taking the same test this week.
The three top-scoring students from each grade level will go on to the finals and will compete against each other next week. The winner from that group will take a written test, and if that student scores high enough, he or she will qualify for the state geography bee.
Principal Kevin Prusse said the students choose to take part in the geography bee and the only requirement is to want to do it.
And there are many reasons a student may want to participate.
"I want to do it because I get geography questions my whole life," said fourth-grader Megan Hendrickson.
Her friend, Katelyn Soares, had her own reasons.
"I'm doing it just for fun and I want to learn more. I don't care if I win or lose."
Prusse said the students learn more than geography from competing. "It helps them to not be afraid to take a risk."
As Hannah Justice sat finishing her lunch, she said, "My dad will be real happy if I do it."
If Hannah made her dad happy by competing, he must be twice as happy today, as Hannah's brother, Josh, also competed.
Prusse cautioned the students to listen carefully as he read each question.
All 17 students answered the same seven questions, with the first question being about states. Students were to identify which state it was and were told when it was correct or incorrect.
The next question had to do with state quarters, and students chose from two possible answers.
After missing the correct answer to the first two questions, two boys put their heads on the table and moaned.
As Josh answered the third question correctly, he gave himself a thumbs-up.
Every time Henry Brown answered correctly, he grinned from ear to ear, as many students did when giving the right answers.
The bee featured questions about continents, cities, regions, terms and processes, as well as cultural geography.
Both Josh and Henry answered the sixth question correctly, although they had each missed a prior question.
When Megan gave the right answer, she grinned and said, "Yes! Finally."
Most of the students complained about the seventh question being too hard.
Three fourth-graders scored five right answers and will go on to the finals next week. Those students -- Henry, Josh and Haley White -- were thrilled to be moving to the next level.
Henry said he entered the geography bee because he wanted a challenge -- and added it feels pretty good to win.
What is he going to do before next week's bee?
"I'm going to study really hard," he said.
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