A central Minnesota eighth-grader advanced Tuesday to the final round of the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C., grabbing the last of the 10 spots reserved for Thursday's nationally telecast showdown.

Gopi Ramanathan, from Sartell Middle School, said he immediately knew the answer to the clinching question: "Manitoulin is the largest island within a freshwater lake. What lake is that?"

Ramanathan correctly responded Huron.

At this point in his preparation, Ramanathan said there's no use cramming for Thursday's competition.

"Usually, before a competition I try not to study," said Ramanathan, 14, who represented Minnesota at the 2010 National Geographic Bee but missed out on making the finals. "It usually just stresses me out."

The finals will be held Thursday morning and then telecast at 7 that night (CDT) on the National Geographic Channel. The moderator will be "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek.

Participants in grades four through eight are competing for scholarship money: $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second and $10,000 for third. First place also comes with a fully paid trip for the winner and a parent or guardian to the Galapagos Islands.

Ramanathan qualified this year by winning the state-level bee on March 30 in St. Cloud. He defeated 2011 state champion William Bogenshultz, an eighth-grader from Ramsey Junior High School in St. Paul.

A TV star in Scandinavia

Princess Estelle, second in line to the Swedish throne, was baptized Tuesday amid pageantry in the chapel of the Royal Palace in Stockholm. About 550 guests, including royals from Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands, witnessed the ceremony, which was broadcast live on television in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The 3-month-old princess is the first-born child of Crown Princess Victoria, 34, and Prince Daniel, 38.

A CATCHY PERFORMANCE

He already has a Super Bowl ring, and now Donald Driver can add the "Dancing With the Stars" trophy to his awards collection. The Green Bay Packers receiver won the ABC show on Tuesday after wowing audiences and judges with his country-themed freestyle routine. With just one point separating the finalists, it was up to the viewers to pick the winner. Driver and his fellow finalists, Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins and Cuban actor William Levy, each earned perfect scores for their last performances.