Linn County student makes strong showing in spelling bee

Pleasanton Junior High eighth-grader Benson Meik represented Linn County at the state spelling bee on Saturday. Meik won the Linn County Spelling Bee in February. (Screen capture/Pleasanton Schools Facebook)

TOPEKA – Benson Meik, an eighth-grader from Pleasanton Junior High School and Linn County's spelling bee champion, saw more than half of the 86 competitors at the Sunflower State Spelling Bee falter in the first three rounds on Saturday, March 25, at Topeka.

But the fourth round was brutal as well. Meik and 20 other contestants were eliminated in that round. In that round, he drew the word "capillary."

After nine rounds only two contestants remained, and Tyler Nolte from Nemaha County emerged as the winner. Nolte won by spelling "gadzookery" and "drumlin."

The contest was sponsored by the Kansas Press Association, ITC and Newman University.