Pictured in front, from left, are Kayly Miller, sixth grade; Bobby Burke, sixth grade; Makynna Rentschler, sixth grade; Lorna Apt, sixth grade; Cheney Canada, eighth grade; and Timothy Keesee, seventh grade. In back are Anahi Ramirez Brito, sixth grade; Logan Hummitch, eighth grade; Kennedy Kohler, seventh grade; Mateo Salazar, eighth grade; and Adriana Vargas Hernandez, sixth grade.

AKRON — The Tippecanoe Valley Middle School Spell Team took home first place in the Running Rivers Conference Spell Bowl held on Oct. 17 at Manchester Community Schools.

Spell coach Susanne Siebrase said this marks the eighth win in a row at the RRC Spell Bowl for the TVMS team. The team studies 1,600 words from the Junior Division of Indiana Academic Spell Bowl to prepare. They’ve been practicing Friday mornings at 7:15 a.m., but have since added practices each day of the week for an hour after school to get ready for the regional competition.

TVMS will host the regional competition at 6 p.m. on Nov. 1. Siebrase said all schools competing for a chance to qualify for the state tournament compete on the same day and time with the same word list. The state tournament will be held on Nov. 11 at Purdue University.