There is officially a new Baldwin County Spelling Bee champion, as 8th-grader Max McClellan recently took home the crown at the recent countywide spelling bee on Feb. 26.

According to the release, McClellan is currently a student at Spanish Fort Middle School and will go on to compete at the state level competition later this year.

The event featured the classroom winners from all Baldwin County elementary, intermediate and middle schools, as well as the area's private schools.

The competition's first runner up was William Tollett, 8th-grade student at Bay Minette Middle School followed by the second runner up, Moksha Vyza, 5th-grade student from Stonebridge Elementary School.