Pictured, from left, are Thatcher Keesee, Anahi Ramirez Brito, Katelyn Stump, Logan Hummitch, Cheney Canada, Kennedy Kohler, Lorna Apt, Mateo Salazar, Makynna Rentschler, Kayly Miller and Bobby Burke.

AKRON — A team of 11 students at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School will soon compete at the state level after placing first in their class at the Indiana Academic Spell Bowl Junior Division regional qualifications.

TVMS and nine other schools throughout Indiana competed in the regional competition on Nov. 1, which was hosted by TVMS. Students were broken up into four classes. The class a team competes in is based on last year’s enrollment. TVMS competed in class three and scored a 50 out of the junior division’s perfect score of 72.

“TVMS had the overall top speller in three of the eight rounds,” said Principal Scott Backus. “No TVMS speller scored lower than five of nine in any round. Two spellers scored eight of nine near-perfect scores.” 

The TVMS team will now compete against six other teams in the state competition at Purdue University. This will be the fourth trip to the state finals in the last five years for TVMS.

“We studied about 1,600 words and increased our practice time an extra hour after school to get ready for the regional competition. I’m so proud of this team for what they have accomplished so far,” said Susanne Siebrase, TVMS spell team coach.

The 33^rd Annual Indiana Academic Spell Bowl State Finals will be held Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Loeb Playhouse in the Stewart Center at Purdue University. The senior division competition begins at 11 a.m. and the junior division competition begins at 3 p.m.