Last Saturday, Lakeridge Junior High’s spelling bee champion, Hannah Faulconer, out-spelled other Utah Valley third through eighth grade students to win the annual Utah Valley Spelling Bee.

The event took place at Utah Valley University’s Ragan Theatre where family, friends and Utah educators turned up to support students from Utah Valley and surrounding areas.

Out of 58 participants, all elementary or junior high-aged students, Faulconer and last year’s winner, Sophie Choate, made their way to the top of the pack, emerging as the top two spellers. Faulconer won with the word, ‘deglaciation.’ Choate, in a junior high program at Provo High School, placed second and Kelsey Howard from Freedom Prep Academy took third place.

“We’d like to congratulate all the students who participated,” said Alexander’s Vice President of Operations, Doyle Mortimer. “We hope they experience added excitement about education and new motivation to continue their studies and develop their vocabularies as a result of the event.”

In addition to winning a trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May, Faulconer took home a one-year membership to Britannica Online, an 11th edition Merriam-Webster’s College Dictionary, The Samuel Lois Sugarman Award, and gifts from Alexander’s and Cedar Fort Publishing.

The annual event was sponsored by Alexander’s and Cedar Fort Publishing with special consideration provided by Utah Valley University. Additionally, Merriam-Webster contributed prizes.

Information about the annual Utah Valley Spelling bee, including a complete list of 2013 winners, is available at UtahValleySpellingBee.com.