Eighth-grade student Joseph Moran, of Hayden, won for the fourth year in a row at the 17th annual North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday at North Idaho College.

Moran, an Inland Northwest Christian Homeschool student, was awarded a trip to the 2020 Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he will represent North Idaho at the end of May in the Washington, D.C., area.

This year’s spelling bee went on for 58 rounds.

The first runner-up, Sarah Fleshman, an eighth-grade Canfield Middle School student, slipped up on the word “pasilla,” after correctly spelling “plenipotentiary” in the round prior. Moran correctly spelled the championship word “attaché,” to take home his fourth first-place award.

“Joseph Moran’s historic, fourth-time North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee win was not an easy one. Sarah Fleshman kept up with Joseph round after round. It was an impressive showing from both of these eighth-graders,” said Maureen Dolan, community relations coordinator at NIC and the coordinator of this year’s spelling bee.

Each of the 38 participants — from public, private, charter and home schools from throughout the region — received medallions.

The event was sponsored, coordinated, and hosted by NIC.