ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, April 3, 1996               TAG: 9604030007
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG 
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER

STUDENT KNOWS HIS PLACE IN THE WORLD

He started studying the states in third grade and his fascination with geography paid off again last week.

B.J. Whitehurst, an eighth-grader at Christiansburg Middle School, competed against 99 other geography buffs last weekend to win second in the Virginia geography bee.

This is the second time Whitehurst made it to the state bee and the third time he's won the school bee in his age group.

"I used to get really nervous," he said, "but I've gotten to the point where I enjoy the competition."

After winning the school bee in January, Whitehurst took a test on his geographical knowledge. Only the top 100 test scores make it to the state competition, held at the Virginia Science Museum in Richmond.

Three other local students participated as well: Brandon Bull from Auburn High and Middle School; Mason Cavell from Blacksburg Middle School; and Matthew Reed from Floyd Elementary School.

Whitehurst said he felt well prepared; his parents quiz him often on current events.

"My dad [Henry Whitehurst], he knows a lot about geography. You can ask him anything," he said.

During the three-hour competition, questions ranged from places in the news, to landform identification, to the weather.

The only question that tripped him up would make most people's jaw drop: In December 1995 flooding of the Sava River hampered the efforts of U.S. troops entering Bosnia from what neighboring country to the north?

(The answer: Croatia.)

Whitehurst won $75, an atlas and another computer game to add to his collection of geography brain teasers.

Even with all this knowledge, Whitehurst, in mapping out his academic future, said he thinks he wants to study botany in college.

"I'm an all-around kind of person."

LENGTH: Short :   47 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:   ALAN KIM/Staff B.J. Whitehurst at home with his 
          second-place state geography bee prizes, which include a pop-up 
          geography book and a check for $75.  color