Saco and Biddeford students shine at York County Spelling Bee

Local students demonstrated their spelling prowess at the York County Spelling Bee, held earlier this month at Massabesic Middle School.

Twelve talented spellers in grades 5-8 from schools across southern Maine, including Biddeford, Saco, Bonny Eagle, and Wells, competed for the county title in a contest that came down to an intense tie-breaking spelldown lasting two extra rounds.

Scarlett Lantz of Wells Junior High claimed the championship and will advance to the Maine State Spelling Bee on March 22 at Bowdoin College. Representing Saco Middle School, Olivia Blais secured the runner-up position after an impressive performance.

Saco and Biddeford were well-represented in the competition. Marko Marjanovic of CK Burns School in Saco and Jeremy Nielsen of Massabesic Middle School tied for third place. Brycen Drake of Biddeford Middle School and Leo L’Italien of Saco Middle School finished in a three-way tie for fifth place. Jahvied Joseph of Biddeford Middle School, Donny Denton of CK Burns School, and Joe Bailey of Bonny Eagle Middle School all competed fiercely but exited in the early rounds.

Superintendent Jeremy Ray praised the students for their achievements, stating, "We are incredibly proud of our students from Saco and Biddeford who participated in this year’s York County Spelling Bee. Their dedication, hard work, and perseverance were on full display, and they represented their schools with excellence. Congratulations to Olivia Blais for her outstanding runner-up finish and to all of our spellers for their impressive performances.”

Per rules, misspelled and winning words are not allowed to be published as other regions conduct their bees. The Maine State Champion will move on to the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee this May, marking the 100th anniversary of the national competition, which will be broadcast on the ION network.