Plenty of smart kids can tick off trivia about the countries of China and Japan.

The rise and fall of the gross domestic product, though? That’s not exactly everyday knowledge for most teens.

That is, unless you are eighth-grader Annie Ulrich.

On Friday afternoon, the Grayslake home-schooled student earned the Illinois Geographic Bee title during a contest at the College of DuPage. (Photos: Grayslake 8th-grader takes state geography title)

The 14-year-old managed to pass up dozens of other geography champs during the state competition that all came down to one question: In 2010, which Asian country lost its ranking as the world’s second-largest economy in terms of gross domestic product when it was surpassed by China?

The answer? Japan.

“I’m just happy to have made it this far, especially for my first time at the state championship level,” Ulrich said as she grinned ear-to-ear.

Organized by the National Geographic Society, the bee included students from fourth through eighth grade who traveled to the Glen Ellyn campus from all over Illinois.

The teens and preteens answered a variety of questions involving simple facts about state capitals to more advanced questions about the origin of volcanic explosions.

Ulrich was prepared for the challenge. During the week leading up to the competition, she spent five hours a day studying atlases, geography books and reference materials online.

She was not only driven to win, but passionate about the subject as a whole. So when the competition finally wound down to the last question, her confidence trumped any self-doubt.

“I just said, ‘I won,’” she recalled.

Brendan Ryan, a seventh-grader from Hinsdale Middle School, had incorrectly answered India. The mistake catapulted Ulrich to her feet, waving her hands in the air with a smile so wide even those watching from the back could catch a glimpse of the braces on her teeth.

She immediately ran off stage and into the arms of her parents who were exploding with pride.

“She really did all the work, I just drove the bus,” said a near-speechless Janet Ulrich, who doubles as mother and teacher.

The teen advances to the national competition in Washington, D.C., next month. Annie Ulrich hopes to  make it to the top 10. However, the first place title remains her ultimate goal.

“I really, really want to win,” she said. “But just finishing in the top 10 would be great.”