On a record-breaking warm winter evening, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (JWP) student Ava Place etched her name into the local history books. Competing at the South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) Regional Spelling Bee on February 17, Place outlasted a field of 25 elite spellers to claim the championship title.
With her victory, Place becomes the first student from the district—dating as far back as the 1970s—to win the regional competition and advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
The regional bee spanned 13 intense rounds of competition with a field consisting of fifth through eighth-grade students from across south-central Minnesota, all of whom had previously won their respective school’s spelling bees.
In the final moments of the 12th round, Place remained calm under the spotlight, correctly spelling the championship word, “tantrum,” to secure her spot on the national stage. Ruby Page from Cleveland Public Schools finished in second place, followed by Henry Stelter from Prairie Winds Middle School in third. St. Clair champion Benson Irvin also performed strongly, taking ninth place.
For her win, Place was awarded a medal, a trophy, and several academic subscriptions. Most significantly, she received an all-expenses-paid trip to represent the region at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the nation’s capital this summer.
While many might see a spelling bee win as a stroke of luck, Jace Emory—JWP’s Spelling Bee Coordinator—attributes Place’s success to a culture of rigor. JWP hosts a particularly competitive school bee, often seeing 30 to 35 students compete, a much higher participation rate than many neighboring districts. That level of competition inspires students like Place to challenge themselves linguistically, “Ava is a master at preparation,” Emory noted. “Her definition of ‘going 100%’ is miles apart from what others might consider. She is willing to invest the time to put herself in the best position for success.”
That preparation involved mastering a regional list of approximately 4,000 words. Place is famously self-motivated, though she is supported by a strong network at home. She and her parents turned these arduous study sessions into games, and her third-grade sister also joined in the academic practice. Her victory at the Regional Spelling Bee is beyond spectacular; however, it isn’t even the first taste of victory for this young Bulldog when it comes to academics. Place took second in the 2025 Spelling Bee at JWP, and is currently the two-time champion of the Social Studies Bee with a chance at a threepeat later this spring.
In a world where technology can find and spell any word imaginable, Ava Place becoming the first-ever JWP student to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee is a testament to what hard work in the classroom and a sharp mind can do. Though her resume is well-decorated before even entering high school, Place is determined to add a few more medals and trophies to her mantle by the school year’s end. It’s not often an academic achievement receives recognition in a district’s history book, but JWP can proudly howl at Place becoming the top dog of the spelling bee.
