Area spellers take honors in regional tournament
Post-Tribune staff report October 23, 2012 8:24PM
A scorekeeper flips the final tally for Thomas Jefferson Middle School during the Indiana Academic Spell Bowl junior division competition at North Judson-San Pierre High School Tuesday Oct. 23, 2012. Thomas Jefferson spellers were perfect on the night and will likely travel to West Lafayette Nov. 10 to defend their 5 consecutive championships in the state competition. | Andy Lavalley~Sun-Times Media
NORTH JUDSON — Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin middle schools in Valparaiso and Morgan Township Middle School in Kouts took first place in their respective divisions during a regional Spell Bowl tournament held Tuesday at North Judson/San Pierre High School.
Thomas Jefferson was the only school to receive a perfect score of 72 points; each of eight team members spelled nine increasingly difficult words to best the other teams.
The school has captured eight Class 2 state championships in the past 10 years, including five consecutive championships beginning in 2007.
Benjamin Franklin is in Class 1, and won with 55 points. Morgan Township is in Class 4, and earned 49 points.
Fifteen schools in all competed in four divisions in the regional, which is sponsored by the Indiana Association of School Principals. The association will announce on Wednesday which teams are taking part in the state competition, to be held Nov. 10 at Purdue University in West Lafayette. The high school championship will be held then as well.
More information on Spell Bowl can be found on the association’s website, www.iasp.org.
