SPRINGFIELD — On Jan. 14, 16 students from elementary and middle schools throughout Effingham County School District competed in the annual spelling bee at Effingham College and Career Academy.

Elementary students competing included Chloe Campbell (Blandford Elementary School), Riley Posey (Ebenezer Elementary School), Bailey Bland (Guyton Elementary School), Ryder English (Marlow Elementary School), Kenadee Lane (Rincon Elementary School), Tiffani Walton (Sand Hill Elementary School), Alexander Reichert (South Effingham Elementary School)and Mario Lazarre (Springfield Elementary School).

Participants from middle schools included Hailyn Thompson, Dawson Davis, and Wren Pratt from Ebenezer Middle School; Mila Craig and Dani Walker from Effingham County Middle School; and Nala Rowland, Kaleb Holcombe, and Anna Bazemore from South Effingham Middle School.

After numerous rounds and eliminations, including a vocabulary round, the contest was narrowed to two competitors: Wren Pratt and Anna Bazemore.

As the rules provided, after a missed word, the finalists had to correctly spell the next two words. Pratt was able to successfully spell two consecutive words for the win.

Pratt will represent the Effingham County School District at the Region Spelling Bee on Feb. 27. Bazemore will serve as the Effingham County School District’s alternate representative.

Terri Johnson was the coordinator for the event and Robert Grant, director of Development for the Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business, was the official “caller.”

Judging was provided by Carlett Fulcher, Kristie Long  and Wendy Porter from the Curriculum Department at the Effingham County Board of Education.