SIDNEY — Samuel Range, son of Karen and Terry Range, won the school competition of the National Geographic Bee recently at Holy Angels School, in Sidney, and a chance at a $50,000 college scholarship.

The school Bee, at which students answered questions on geography, was the first round in the 29th annual National Geographic Bee. Thousands of schools around the United States and in the five U.S. territories are participating in the 2017-2018 Bee.

The school champions, including Samuel, will take an online test; up to 100 of the top scorers on that test in each state will then be eligible to compete in their state Bee on April 6, 2018.

The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state winners to participate in the Bee national championship rounds from May 20 to May 23, 2018.

The first place national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, including a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and a National Geographic Expeditions Lindblad expedition to the Galapagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavour II. Travel for the trip is provided be Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.

Second place winner of the Bee held at Holy Angels was Ashlyn Hamblin, sixth grade, daughter of Melissa Monnier and Jeff Hamblin. Third place went to Samuel LaForme, seventh grade, son of Michael and Molly LaForme. Other grade level competitors included Sophia Bosslet and Henry Petersen, fourth grade; Marcus Allen and Brennan Potts, fifth grade; Hamblin and Samantha Sargeant, sixth grade; Brandon Jones and LaForme, seventh grade; and Range and Hayden Schmidt, eighth grade.