After eliminating more than 140 entrants, 20 students made it to the championship round of the Cascade View Elementary School spelling bee on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Of those 20, fourth grader Marshall Smith correctly spelled “plaintiff” in the final round to become the school champion.

The spelling bee was held by grade level and the top four students from each level qualified for the championship round. In that final round, students of all grade levels had to compete against each other.

Notably, a first grader, Sebastian Peterson, made it to the seventh round of the championships.

The Cascade View spelling bee, sponsored by the PTSA, is part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee program. The winner, Smith, and an alternate, second grader Maya Shekhar, will go to the regional spelling bee Sunday, March 13 at Town Hall Seattle.

Students competing in the championship round included: First graders, Sebastian Peterson, Leif Peterson and Claire Mitchell; second graders Kaitlyn Brady, Quinby Douglas, Rhitik Banthia and Maya Shekhar; third graders Reva Dhiman, Santoshi Kakani, Jaxon Barlament and Saachit Durga; fourth graders Elizabeth Mitchell, Kaya Nealis, Anastasia Jacobson and Marshall Smith; and fifth graders Emma Smith, Wyatt Montgomery, Adriana Schmieder and Haley Clark.