Albany Middle School student Uriah Ba won the top prize at the Regional Spelling Bee Saturday, advancing to the State Spelling Bee March 18. 

Ba’s flawless performance at the district bee capped a 16-round competition among 19 students from schools across the DCSS. Along the way, Radium Elementary’s Roberto Sandoval stayed right there with her; the two crushing word after word, until only they remained on the stage. 

In the end, Ba walked away with the crown and Sandoval earned the alternate spot.

“Most of the words I got were surprises, but I got happy though when they called a few of the words because I knew them and had studied them,” Ba said after her win at the district bee. 

When asked about her confidence on stage, Ba said, “I studied every day at school and home, so I felt pretty prepared.”