The annual Read To Succeed "Read To Bee Spelling Bee" welcomed 18 spellers to the stage at Patterson Park on Saturday morning, April 18th to compete for the title of 2015 Read To Bee Champion.

6th grade contestants representing Murfreesboro City, Private, and Rutherford County schools competed for a record setting 25 rounds before a champion was crowned. Pronouncer, Greg Tucker asked these top students to spell words such as vivacious, vitriolic, hackamore, charioteer, and armistice while judges Diane Mackey, Chantho Sourinho, and Caresa Dodson listened intently.

The final two spellers were Jill Patel representing Thurman Francis Arts Academy and Gabriel Carver representing Northfield Elementary. These two amazing students went several rounds before Jill incorrectly spelled the word cumbersome allowing Gabriel to win by spelling both armistice and tomahawk correctly.

Gabriel received the 2015 Read To Bee trophy along with a $100 cash award from First Tennessee Bank and a collection of state quarters from Franklin Synergy Bank. Runner-up, Jill Patel, received the 2015 Read To Bee medal, $50 cash award from First Tennessee Bank and state quarters collection. Both students received gift certificates to The Learning Circle for their teachers.

Read To Succeed congratulates all the 2015 contestants, their parents, and teachers for a wonderful 2015 Read To Bee and wishes all of these students successful futures.

For more information on this event and other literacy events in Rutherford County, please visit www.readtosucceed.org, call 615/738-READ, or follow Read To Succeed on facebook and twitter.