PORTLAND — Lily Jordan showed up to defend her title as Maine State Spelling Bee champion today, and she did just that.

After 14 rounds, the eighth grade Cape Elizabeth Middle School student carefully considered the 80th word doled out and spelled “rotunda” with ease. She was one of 16 students representing each county in the state to compete for a chance to represent Maine in the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Jordan will travel to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national bee in June. Trophies were awarded to Jordan, runner-up Michaela Wright of Rockland and Eva Marie Olson of Islesboro for third place. Each contestant received an L.L. Bean backpack and lunchbox, a Kindle sponsored by NextGen, and a T-shirt.

The Maine State Spelling Bee is sponsored by Maine Today Media Inc., which publishes The Press Herald, the Kennebec Journal in Augusta and the Morning Sentinel in Waterville.


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