Tension was high in the middle school auditorium as the clock ticked down to the end of the school day. Participants in the annual spelling bee kept spelling every word correctly. Starting with 44 contestants at the beginning of eighth period on Dec. 8, five were left as the end of ninth period drew close. Slowly, challenging words finally left two competitors on the stage to battle it out for the title of spelling bee champion.
Eighth-grader Jackson Palmer held on for the win and claimed the title, with seventh-grader Sophia DelGiudice placing second as runner-up. Both students were poised and confident throughout the competition, rattling off the letters in each word without any hesitation.
