YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - It was a busy day for some students in the Valley as they fought to out-spell the competition.

The Vindicator hosted its 82nd annual spelling bee on YSU's campus on Saturday.

Fifty two competitors, grades three through eight, battled it out for the title of grand champion.

This year's competition seemed stiff, with over 30 competitors getting knocked out in the first round.

This year's winner, 8th grader Annabelle Day from Willow Creek Learning Center, defended her title as last year's spelling bee champion.

Each of the students involved in the bee was given a Merriam-Webster Eleventh Edition Collegiate Dictionary and a t-shirt.

However, only the Grand Champion, Ms. Day will represent the region in the national spelling bee in Washington D.C.