On March 28th at Trinity Catholic School on Main Street in Lewiston, the State Spelling Bee was held. On the stage were thirteen competitors, who had already won the spelling bee at the county level. After almost two hours, Imogen Page, from Blue Hill Consolidated School, won first place for the second year in a row. She will attend the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. to represent Maine in May. Taking second place was Lily Koffman from Orono Middle School, and in third place was Rachel Borch from Hope Elementary.

The 13 counties presented were: Androscoggin, Jon Tuttle, Trinity Catholic School; Aroostook, Josh Strover, Dr. Levesque School; Cumberland, Lily Jordan, Capt Elizabeth Middle School; Franklin, Mikayla Oswald, Jay Middle School; Hancock, Imogen Page, Blue Hill Consolidated School; Knox, Rachel Borch, Hope Elementary School; Lincoln, Michaela Sprague, Jefferson Village.

Also: Oxford, Greyson Hikel Molly, Ockett Middle School; Penobscot, Lily Koffman, Orono Middle School; Somerset, Jane Fox, Warsaw Middle School; Waldo, Max Gefken, Lincolnville Central School; Washington, Sinai Herrara, Mildbridge School and York, Graham Pannnier, Noble Middle School.

Norm Karkos from Channel 8 News was the competition’s moderator and the judges included Lewiston’s mayor, Mr. Larry Gilbert, the Lewiston Sun Journal daytime managing editor, Ms. Judy Meyer, and the chief executive officer at Community Credit Union, Ms. Donna Steckino.

Good effort everyone and best of luck to Imogen at the National Bee.