Taleah Hernandez of Polson won the 2016 Lake County Spelling Bee March 1. It is her second year as champion.

The night grew long as 50 fifth- through eighth-grade students from public, private and home schools across Lake County gathered at the Ronan Performing Arts Center to test their wits, tenacity and knowledge of the English language. Though a dozen qualifying students did not attend, 38 students participated.

The words were tough: Orwellian, sanctimonious, schnitzel and commodious. But the spellers were tougher.

The spelling bee pronouncer, former Lake County Superintendent of Schools Michelle Woods, delivered words that knocked out more than half the participants, totaling 26 kids. The second round eliminated an additional seven students. By the time the third round began, only five students perched nervously atop their chairs.

Dominic Marquez, a seventh grader of Charlo, Brynn Pule, a seventh grader of St. Ignatius, David Castillo, an eighth grader of Polson, Keana Thomas a seventh grader of Mission Valley Christian Academy and Taleah Hernandez, a sixth grade Polson Middle School student.

Though Hernandez won the event with the words “Chihuahua” and “Conglomerate,” and Pule took second place in the spelling bee, a seven-round battle for third place showcased the determination of three spellers to win. Castillo won third place after he defeated Marquez and Thomas.

First and second place spellers will compete at the Treasure State Spelling Bee in Billings March 19.

Before spellers qualified to participate in the Lake County Spelling Bee, they first participated in and won local meets in Arlee, St. Ignatius, Charlo, Ronan, Polson, Dayton and Valley View. Homeschools that held qualifying meets were: Mission Valley Christian Academy and Glacier View SDA.