Easton Madron, top second from left and above, an eighth grader at Tarkio R-I School, placed second in the 2024 Northwest Missouri Regional Spelling Bee held in St. Joseph, Missouri, March 2, 2024. He missed advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee by one place. Also pictured are: Owen Herzog from St. Joseph Christian School in St. Joseph, MO, third place speller, above left; first place speller Eloise Wattenbarger from Hamilton R-2 School in Hamilton, Missouri, above second from right; and Karen Heyde-Lipanovich, pronouncer and regional bee director, above right. (Mound City News photos)

Bentley Teten, an eighth grader from Rock Port R-II, competed in the 2024 Northwest Missouri Regional Spelling Bee.

Two Atchison County students competed in the Northwest Missouri Regional Spelling Bee and one came home with a second place plaque Saturday, March 2, 2024. The event, sponsored by Mosaic Life Care Foundation and held at the emPowerU building in St. Joseph, Missouri, saw 26 competitors testing their skills to be the top speller and move on to nationals. Easton Madron, a Tarkio R-I eighth grader, placed second in the event. Rock Port eighth grader Bentley Teten also participated.

Thirteen counties in northwest Missouri each send their top two spellers to compete. The champion speller will move on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in the Washington, D.C. during the week of Memorial Day. The final rounds of the Bee will be broadcast live.

Other winners of the competition were first place winner Eloise Wattenbarger from Hamilton R-2 in Hamilton, Missouri, and third place winner Owen Herzog from St. Joseph Christian School in St. Joseph. Judges for the Regional Bee were Jeanette Malita, Lori Witham and Jolynn Venneman. Karen Heyde-Lipanovich served as director and pronouncer for the competition.