Camarillo Team Takes Its 10th Geography Bowl

What is Canada’s largest and busiest port city in terms of cargo handled?

Just ask any member of a six-person Camarillo High School team that captured top honors Saturday at the 10th annual Geography Bowl, held in the Oxnard College gymnasium. More than 130 high school students participated.

Using a round-robin format, the Camarillo team correctly answered 18 of 20 questions on geography, economics and the Earth’s environment, team advisor Bill Miles said.

The winners defeated three other teams from their own school and 18 teams from high schools throughout the county. Teams finishing second and fourth were also from Camarillo High School, Miles said.

A team from St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura took third after its members correctly answered a tie-breaking question: “In the past seven years, what country has held their female elected president under house arrest?” The answer: Burma.

A St. Bonaventure team won the competition last year, said Miles, who is a social studies teacher at Camarillo High.

The first-place team consisted of six juniors: Nancy Chang, Davis Fischer, John Paul LeCedre, Jason Comer, Nick Edwards and Amanda Hires.

The top three winners of an individual competition that consisted of a 50-question multiple-choice test were also from Camarillo High School.

For their impressive brain work, the winning team will get an aerial tour of Ventura County, courtesy of Oxnard’s Aspen Helicopters. The ride will be a nice way to view the coast, which won’t include a look at Montreal, Canada’s largest and busiest port in terms of cargo handled.