The championship winning word was “theomachy,” a noun meaning a battle or strife among the gods.

After advancing through school and regional competitions, 15 spellers competed for a chance to attend the Scripps National Spelling Bee hosted in Washington, D.C. in May. The Scripps Spelling Bee has been sponsored by USD since 2012. A complete list of competitors is below.

The oral bee winners were:
1st place - Ryan Presler, Brandon Valley Middle School, Grade 7
2nd place - Nathan Gemechis, George S. Mickelson Middle School, Brookings, Grade 7
3rd place - Kamil Schorn, Jolley Elementary School, Vermillion, Grade 4

The written test winners were:
1st place - Ryan Presler, Brandon Valley Middle School, Grade 7
2nd place - Sam Pardy, O’Gorman Jr. High School, Sioux Falls, Grade 8
3rd place - Christine Addo, Dakota Valley Middle School, Grade 7

A full list of competitors.

Jamie Robbins - Watertown
Mason Davis - Huron
Kaydence Johnson - Rapid City
Kamil Schorn - Vermillion
Christine Addo - Dakota Dunes
Odysseus Wernke - Castlewood
Sam Pardy - Sioux Falls
Olivia Miller - Rapid City
Nathan Gemechis - Brookings
Katie Schulte - Yankton
Carson Weiner - Sioux Falls
Noah Beck - Huron
Mya Halverson - Vermillion
Ryan Presler - Sioux Falls
Brady Tryon - Summerset

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