Spelling bee champion Caleb Summers and runner-up Gretchen Benscoter.
Miller Middle School held its annual spelling bee Thursday, Jan. 16, with seventh grader Caleb Summers advancing to the state spelling bee.
Gretchen Benscoter, 8th grade, was second place. She and Summers edged out 133 students who began in preliminary rounds Tuesday, Jan. 14. From the first group the finalists were narrowed down to David Barlow, Gretchen Benscoter, Brianna Dean, Noel Diggins, Jacob Eberle, Dantiana Fernandez, Cael Goodknight, Bethany Lawthers, Paige McWilliams, Emily Miller, Mackenzie Moyer, Eve Nettesheim, Patrick Schafer, Caleb Summers, Olivia Stone, and Hadley Wagner for the competition Jan. 16.
Summers and Benscoter each received a Wal-Mart gift card as a prize.
The state spelling bee will be Saturday, Feb. 1, beginning at 9am in the Memorial Union at Iowa State University.
