Sixth-grader Teo Bortan of Old Saybrook was recently named the champion of the Saint Bernard School National Geographic Bee, held on Jan. 31. The competition is open to students in grades 4-8, and Bortan placed first and third in previous bees when he attended Old Saybrook Middle School.

“I am most definitely surprised,” he said in a press release. “I focused mostly on the United States (during preparation), but I think it was just a lucky guess.”

If Bortan ranks within the top 100 in the state on the qualifying test, he will represent Saint Bernard School at the state bee in April. The winner of the national competition in Washington, D.C., receives a $50,000 scholarship.