PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Eighth-grader Colin Aponte won the Maine State Spelling Bee Saturday at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.
Aponte, an eighth-grader from Downeast Homeschool Co-op, won the spelling bee after successfully spelling the words "regime" and "crescendo."
Moriah Reusch, a seventh grader from Mt. Blue Middle School, came in second, and Max Sanborn, a sixth grader from China Middle School, came in third.
Fourteen students, ranging from fifth grade to eighth grade, competed against each other.
The state spelling bee lasted a little over an hour and a half at 30 rounds total, making this year's competition the fastest one since its inception in 2010.
Aponte will go to Washington, D.C. in May to represent the state of Maine in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.