The 9th National Geographic Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 28, 1997, sponsored by the National Geographic Society.
The final competition was moderated by Jeopardy!
[1] The winner was Alex Kerchner of Kamiakin Junior High School in Kirkland, Washington, who won a $25,000 college scholarship.
[2] The 2nd-place winner, Steve Sreckovic of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, won a $15,000 scholarship.
The 3rd-place winner, Justin Mosel of Orchard, Nebraska, won a $10,000 scholarship.