Jake Perl, an eighth-grader at Sequoia Middle School in Newbury Park, is a semifinalist eligible to compete in the 2010 California Geographic Bee on April 9 at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento.

More than 800,000 fourththrough eighth-grade students in 200 schools across the state competed in school bees, and only the 100 top students have advanced to the state level.

The state winner will receive $100, a world atlas and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent California in the national finals.

Jake is the son of Christine and Eric Perl.