VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The 2025 Barnes County Spelling Bee was held Monday, February 3, in the Hi-Liner Activity Center for grades 5-8.

The top two spellers in grades 5-6 and the top two spellers in grades 7-8 from every school in the county were invited. Participating schools were Barnes County North, Maple Valley, St. Catherine’s, Washington Elementary, and Valley City Junior High.

Fourteen spellers arrived to showcase their talents in three rounds: written, vocabulary, and oral. All spellers received the same 50 words with the goal of sending the top two in the county to represent Barnes County at state.

Barnes County Spelling Bee Champion Theresa Peterson of Maple Valley and Runner-Up John Oakland of Valley City Junior High are bound for state at the Bismarck Event Center on March 17.

A special thanks is extended to VCSU students Madi Klabo, Evelyn Lloyd, Grace Mueller, and Lilybeth Townsend along with VCSU professor Dr. Travis Knapp for their help in running the bee.

Barnes County Spelling Bee

Barnes County Winners Bound for State

(L-R): Champion Theresa Peterson (MV) and Runner-Up John Oakland (VC).

2025 Contestants

Back (L-R): MaLeah Lewandowski (VC); Cassandra Hansen (VC); Theresa Peterson (MV); John Oakland (VC). Middle (L-R): Jarek Wohlganger (VC); Natalie Haugen (BCN); Lilly Thorlakson (BCN); Jarron Prince (BCN); Wesley Omdahl (BCN); Henry Olauson (MV). Front (L-R): Nikki Hellinga (St. Kate’s); Andrew Hoff (St. Kate’s); Christian Pilgrim (MV); Janessa Warren (MV).

7th-and-8th grade winners

(L-R): 1 st Place Theresa Peterson (MV); 2 rd Place John Oakland (VC); 3 rd Place Lilly Thorlakson (BCN).

5th-and-6th grade winners

(L-R): 1 st Place (not pictured) Jarek Wohlganger (Washington Elementary); 2nd Place Nikki Hellinga (St. Kate’s), 3 rd Place MaLeah Lewandowski (Washington Elementary).