Sudbury Spelling Bee champs crowned

There were repeat champions as 40 children competed in three age divisions at the Sudbury Spelling Bee on Sunday, with more than $1,000 in prize money handed out. 

Brendon Matusch, 11, won the junior division for students aged 9 to 11. It's the fourth win for the Sudbury Christian Academy student who mastered the word 'coast' to take home $300 in prize money.

"Spell check messes up a lot and if you ever have to just write stuff down, there's not going to be autocorrect," Matusch said about the importance of learning to spell.

Urooba Ahmed of Churchill Public School took second prize in the Junior Division and Jacob Sharkey, who is home schooled, took third place.

The youngest children in the primary division, aged 6 to 8, went through more than 40 rounds of spelling before Nicholas Sharkey, who is home schooled, took the win. He correctly spelled the word 'workmen'. Sharkey received $200 and a big trophy for his win. 

Avani Innis of Alexander Public School took second in the primary division and Annika Matusch placed third.

The top prize in the intermediate division, for students aged 12 to 14, went to Julia Burns of Marymount Academy. Burns correctly spelled 'congenial' for the $400 prize.

Nana Kwaku Awuah-Ben of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School took second prize and Azka Ahmed was third.

The winners of all three divisions at the Sudbury Spelling Bee qualified to move on to the provincial championships in Toronto in a few weeks time.