2015 Elementary and Middle School US Geo Olympiad

Dormant threads from the high school sections are preserved here.
Locked
Great Bustard
Auron
Posts: 1463
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 9:23 pm
Location: DC, NJ, and everywhere else
Contact:

2015 Elementary and Middle School US Geo Olympiad

Post by Great Bustard »

Congratulations to our 2015 Elementary and Middle School US Geography Olympiad National Champions!
Middle School National Champion: John Phipps, Middlesex Middle School, Darien, CT
Elementary National Champion: Rohil Bhinge, Nysmith School, Herndon, VA

Middle School US Geography Exam Champion: John Phipps, Middlesex Middle School, Darien, CT
Middle School World Geography Exam Champion: Benjamin Benjadol, Central Junior High School, Euless, TX
Middle School Quiz Bowl Champion: Sravya Kuchibhotla, Davis Drive Middle School, Cary, NC

Elementary US Geography Exam Champion: Rohil Bhinge, Nysmith School, Herndon, VA
Elementary World Geography Exam Champion: Rohil Bhinge, Nysmith School, Herndon, VA
Elementary Quiz Bowl Champion: Saket Pochiraju, Olentangy Meadows Elementary School, Lewis Center, OH

I was very happy with our turnout for our inaugural USGO Elementary (66 students) and Middle School (112 students) Nationals. With the huge Geo Bee community out there, USGO at this level has tremendous potential, not only for itself, but also as a gateway event for students into the National History Bee and Bowl and into quiz bowl in general. Expect us to focus on expanding our reach here next year and beyond. In terms of the competition, for next year, we'll most likely consolidate the exams into one exam with 40-45 minutes available, which will buy us some added time for the lunch break. I think we'll also stick with keeping the champions announcement between the two subject exams, and expand that from 15 to 25 minutes so as make sure everyone isn't too rushed. We'll likely move the opening meeting up slightly too - I don't mind doing it at 7:50 or so (a typical start time for school, anyway) to build just a bit more time in to the schedule.
As for the competition itself, I think the exams played slightly harder than ideal, but at the same time, the median scores were reasonable (in the mid 40's). If I have the time, I'd like to make the elementary exam slightly easier too for next year. One final note: Sravya is the first national champion who is female in any quiz bowl-style competition that we have ever run, so congrats to her on that distinction (and the 6 player final featured 2 other girls too!)
David Madden
Ridgewood (NJ) '99, Princeton '03
Founder and Director: International History Bee and Bowl, National History Bee and Bowl (High School Division), International History Olympiad, United States Geography Olympiad, US History Bee, US Academic Bee and Bowl, National Humanities Bee, National Science Bee, International Academic Bowl.
Adviser and former head coach for Team USA at the International Geography Olympiad
Locked