Westlake Student Wins Geography National Championship

WESTLAKE, OH - Kyle Yu, a Westlake High School junior, is set to take a trip to Belgrade, Serbia this summer. Yu earned a spot on the US Geography Olympiad Varsity Team after his performance at the 5th annual Varsity National Championships of the US Geography Olympiad (USGO).

Yu won the Varsity Division, earning his ticket to Belgrade and the 2017 International Geography Olympiad. He will be joined by US students from across the nation.

Yu has been a dominant force at the USGO competition for two years running. Last year he was the Junior Varsity Champion. This year he became only the second Varsity student ever to win all three portions of the competition, which include a map exam, a written exam, and a multiple choice exam. He also won the overall title at the USGO competition.

The Varsity National Championships were held April 21 in Arlington, Virginia. Nearly 180 students competed in the contest, including 93 Varsity participants and 85 Junior Varsity participants.

Yu also competed in the inaugural Varsity US National Championship of the International Geography Bee. He took sixth overall in that competition.

Yu was named the 2017 National Champion after three separate USGO exams and five rounds of buzzer quiz competition in the International Geography Bee.

Photo cutline: Kyle Yu receives his 2017 National Champion award from National History Bee & Bowl Executive Director David Madden.

Photos from Westlake Schools