Two Elkhart County students tied for runner-up in the annual regional spelling bee Thursday evening, March 7.

Anna Lucus, a sixth-grader at Northridge Middle School, and Olivia Hajicek, a fifth-grader with the Elkhart Home Educators, tied at the 18th annual South Bend Tribune Regional Spelling Bee at Bethel College, according to Pam Bishop of the Tribune, which organized the event.

The top spellers in first through eighth grades in Elkhart County and St. Joseph County schools competed. Seventy students competed at the event.

The repeat winner of the bee, Margaret Peterson, a homeschooled student from St. Joseph County, will go on to Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington at the end of May.



Here is the list of Elkhart County students who competed in the spelling bee.

• Aaron Miller, Millersburg Elementary

• Aaron Rosenbrock, New Paris Elementary

• Aislin Sullivan, Elkhart Home Educators

• Ally Isenbarger, Elkhart Home Educators

• Anna Lucus, Northridge Middle School

• Benjamin Conrod, NorthWood Middle School

• Brittany Hershberger, Nappanee Elementary

• Brooklyn Costner, Concord Intermediate

• Caelyn Ayres, Heritage Intermediate

• Caleb Matchette, Pinewood Elementary

• Caleb Norris, Heritage Intermediate

• Chase Horner, Wakarusa Elementary

• Clayton Thomas, Millersburg Elementary

• Daniela Deblas, Osolo Elementary School

• David Poe, Pierre Moran Middle School

• Dawson Bley, NorthWood Middle School

• Dena Helmuth, Millersburg Elementary

• Destiny Schrock, Clinton Christian

• Elaina Spitler, Waterford Elementary

• Edj Johnson, Pinewood Elementary

• Grace Hire, Mary Feeser Elementary

• Greyson Bargerhuff, West Side Middle School

• Heather Curtis, St. John the Evangelist

• Issac Bontrager, Benton Elementary School

• Jacob Poole, Northridge Middle School

• Jennifer Heritz, Trinity Lutheran

• Jeremy Miller, NorthWood Middle School

• Joseph Capdevielle, homeschool

• Justin Meister, homeschool

• Justin Walter, West Side Middle School

• Karina Castro, Concord Intermediate School

• Kennedy Lambert, New Paris Elementary

• Leila Soliman, Elkhart Home Educators

• Lisa Yoder, Benton Elementary

• Mackenzie Hall, Trinity Lutheran

• Makenna Gall, Nappanee Elementary

• Mariah Miller, Woodview Elementary

• Matt Graybill, Concord Intermediate

• Olivia Hajicek, Elkhart Home Educators

• Paula Toth, Parkside Elementary

• Quinten Hunsberger, Wakarusa Elementary

• Ritu Patel, Osolo Elementary

• Sarah “Priya” Sommers, Chandler Elementary

• Sean Wilson, Pinewood Elementary

• Skyler Duerksen, Woodview Elementary

• Steven Fields, Concord Junior High School

• Thomas Coates, St. Thomas the Apostle

• Trevor Pollock, Concord Junior High