2018 WIPB Spelling Bee Biggest Yet

The winner of the 2017 WIPB Spelling Bee was Caleb Roberts (center), of Heritage Hall Christian School. First runner-up was Ria Agarwal of Yorktown Middle School and second runner-up was Alesya Rathinasamy of Burris Laboratory School. Caleb Roberts, the winner of the 2017 WIPB Spelling Bee, is pictured as he approaches the microphone to spell his first word of the competition. Photo providedThe winner of the 2017 WIPB Spelling Bee was Caleb Roberts (center), of Heritage Hall Christian School. First runner-up was Ria Agarwal of Yorktown Middle School and second runner-up was Alesya Rathinasamy of Burris Laboratory School. Caleb Roberts, the winner of the 2017 WIPB Spelling Bee, is pictured as he approaches the microphone to spell his first word of the competition. Photo provided

By: Michelle Kinsey, Community Engagement Coordinator, WIPB-TV—

Muncie, IN – More than 60 spellers will compete in the third WIPB Spelling Bee, set for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 10, in Sursa Performance Hall, on the campus of Ball State University.

WIPB will be broadcasting the regional bee LIVE as well as streaming the event on the PBS station’s website, www.wipb.org.

If you want to watch the action in person, we ask that you are in your Sursa seats by 8:30 a.m.

School champions from Delaware, Jay, Blackford, Randolph and, new this year, Madison and Henry counties, will be competing.

“We are so excited to welcome the students from schools in Madison and Henry counties this year,” said WIPB Community Engagement Coordinator Michelle Kinsey. “This is going to be our biggest bee yet!”

The champion of the WIPB Spelling Bee will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Other prizes for the spellers include reference books, gift certificates and more.

Last year’s WIPB Spelling Bee champion was Caleb Roberts, a student at Heritage Hall Christian School, who won this area’s longest bee in recent history by spelling the word “perpend.” The champ in 2016 was Samantha Academia, who was a student at Yorktown Middle School.

In addition, WIPB has partnered with Motivate Our Minds for a Spelling Bee Club that meets regularly at the center for spelling games, practice bees and more.