Seventh grader repeats as Leetonia spelling champion
From left, Leetonia district spelling bee champion Xaven Barr, grade 7, poses for a photo with runners-up Seth Jackson and Jonah Prince, both grade 8, and Braxton Pelsnik, grade 6. All four middle school students will advance to the Columbiana County Bee in March. Not pictured is alternate Tyson Utt, grade 6. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
At left, Wyatt Jenkins (8) takes his turn to spell a word Tuesday morning, as contestants Xaven Barr (3) and Jonah Prince (2) look on. Barr went onto win to win Leetonia’s district spelling bee and Prince was one of three runners-up. Both will advance to the Columbiana County Spelling Bee. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Tyson Utt (10) and Oliver Yencha (9) wait for their turns to spell Tuesday morning during Leetonia’s district spelling bee. Utt would go onto place in the Top five, earning a berth as an alternate speller if one of the top four cannot advance to the Columbiana County Spelling Bee in March. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Friends and guests fill stands Tuesday morning during Leetonia’s district spelling bee, as 25 spellers between grades 5-8 vied to advance to the Columbiana County Spelling Bee in March. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
From left, Leetonia district spelling bee champion Xaven Barr, grade 7, poses for a photo with runners-up Seth Jackson and Jonah Prince, both grade 8, and Braxton Pelsnik, grade 6. All four middle school students will advance to the Columbiana County Bee in March. Not pictured is alternate Tyson Utt, grade 6. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
At left, Wyatt Jenkins (8) takes his turn to spell a word Tuesday morning, as contestants Xaven Barr (3) and Jonah Prince (2) look on. Barr went onto win to win Leetonia’s district spelling bee and Prince was one of three runners-up. Both will advance to the Columbiana County Spelling Bee. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Tyson Utt (10) and Oliver Yencha (9) wait for their turns to spell Tuesday morning during Leetonia’s district spelling bee. Utt would go onto place in the Top five, earning a berth as an alternate speller if one of the top four cannot advance to the Columbiana County Spelling Bee in March. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Friends and guests fill stands Tuesday morning during Leetonia’s district spelling bee, as 25 spellers between grades 5-8 vied to advance to the Columbiana County Spelling Bee in March. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
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LEETONIA -- For two years in a row, seventh-grade student Xaven Barr claimed the Leetonia district spelling bee championship.
Barr bested 24 other contestants by correctly spelling "suburbia."
Filling the other three spots to advance with Barr to the Columbiana County Spelling Bee in March were runners-up Braxton Pelsnik, grade six; Jonah Prince and Seth Jackson, both grade eight. Sixth-grader Tyson Utt rounded up the top five, filling the alternate spot by correctly spelling "gardenia."
Leetonia school district is fielding three experienced spellers in the county bee. In addition to Barr advancing last year, Jackson also was a runner-up last year and Prince had won in sixth grade.
Band director Randy Rodik was the pronouncer for Tuesday's event.