Nearly half of the 54 students who won their state 2016 National Geographic Bee are Indian American or South Asian American.

At least 22 students who won their state National Geographic Bee are Indian American or South Asian American. Each state, as well as Washington, D.C., Atlantic and Pacific territories and the Department of Defense Dependents Schools, will be represented by one student in the 28th annual bee finals.

The winners of the state bees, which were held April 1, came from millions of students who participated in this year’s event, according to a National Geographic news release.

Indian Americans and South Asian Americans winners in the western part of the country include Nishaanth Krishnan, an eighth grader of Tustin, Calif.; Ari Mehta, a Phoenix, Ariz.-based eighth grader; Ankit Garg, a sixth grader from Logan, Utah; fourth grader Satvik Kabbur, of Woodinville, Wash.; and Portland, Ore.-based sixth grader Ashwin Sivakumar.

In the south, winners include Kapil Nathan, a sixth grader of Hoover, Ala.; Tampa, Fla.-based sixth grader Rishi Nair; Carrollton, Texas, seventh grader Pranay Varada; and Albuquerque, N.M.-based fifth grader Lakshay Sood.

The northeast will be represented by four students, including Ridgefield, Conn.-based eighth grader Ritwik Bose; Saketh Jonnalagadda, an eighth grader from Westford, Mass.; Concord, N.H.-based sixth grader Abhinav S. Govindaraju; and Montville, N.J., sixth grader Veda Bhattaram.

Another five Indian Americans and South Asian Americans will represent states in the Midwest, including eighth grader Pranav Arunandhi, of Rochester Hills, Mich.; Fenton, Mo.-based eighth grade student Nikhil Krishnan; Aviral Misra, an eighth grade student from Leawood, Kan.; Lewis Center, Ohio, sixth grader Saket Pochiraju; and sixth grader Omaha, Neb., resident Deeksha Sridher.

Additionally, Shyam Ravishankar, an eighth grader from Louisville, Ky.; Samanyu Avinash Dixit, a Charlotte, N.C.-based sixth grader; Vishvesha Sridhar, an eighth grader of Blacksburg, Va.; Charleston, W.V., eighth grader Surya Perla; and fifth grader Rishi Kumar, of Ellicott City, Md.; will also make their way to the bee finals.

The 28th annual National Geographic Bee finals are scheduled to be held May 23 through May 25 in Washington, D.C.