Can you spell victory?

Ellis Middle School students participated in the annual Austin Public Schools spelling bee. During this competition 20 students, five representatives from grades 5-8, competed to be crowned spelling champion and received an invitation to the regional spelling bee in Rochester on Feb. 11.

There were 189 different words, including “requisite,” bellicose,” and “Xanadu.” After more than two hours, and 11 rounds of competition, Peyton Clark, a seventh grade student, was named the 2019 Spelling Bee champion after correctly spelling the word “cologne.” Tyler Kissling, a sixth grade student placed second, and Peytyn Johnson placed third.

Both Clark and Kissling will head off to South Central Services Cooperative in Rochester on Feb. 11 to compete in the regional spelling bee. If either student advances, there will be a second regional bee at South Central, and if they advance beyond that, they will qualify for the national bee in Washington D.C.