After 58 grueling rounds, which included two tiebreakers, Grisham Middle School eighth-grade student Dhruv Nistala earned second place at the National Geographic State Bee.
Dhruv also placed second in the 2016 National Geographic State Bee. The competition gathers the top 100 geography students in Texas to test their global knowledge. The latest National Geographic State Bee was the last time Dhruv would compete before entering high school and preparing for the Geography Olympiad.
“I feel pretty good about winning second place,” Dhruv said. “I got second last year so I am a little disappointed I didn’t get first, but I feel pretty happy.”
Dhruv competed through the preliminary round where he had to complete a tiebreaker to advance to the championship round. A second tiebreaker was needed in the championship round as both competitors successfully answered the questions. In the end, National Geographic State Bee officials opened two sets of past questions to determine a winner.
“We are incredibly proud of Dhruv and his dedication to studying geography,” said Grisham Principal Paige Hadziselimovic. “The National Geographic State Bee is a competitive and rigorous test of student knowledge. Dhruv’s success is a testament to his drive for knowledge and the support from his parents and teachers.”
