The Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center will welcome 97 students on Monday to compete in the 2019 North Dakota State Spelling Bee Competition. The winner of the competition will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC, which will air on ESPN's family of channels.

The contest will consist of students representing 49 of North Dakota's 53 counties, with competitors ranging in age level from fourth to eighth grade. In addition, 73 of the students are competing in the state spelling bee for the first time.

In the morning of the contest, all of the students will take a written test. The top-25 scores will advance to the oral spelling bee, which is lated to start at 1:30 p.m. From there the field will be whittled down until a state champion is declared.

Each county has up to two students representing it. Burleigh County will be represented by eighth grader Pacey Kutzer of Simle Middle School and eighth grader Katelyn Putney of Watcher Middle School. Morton County is represented by seventh grader Holden Howard of Mandan Middle School and Anna Palmer of Hebron Public School

Below is the full list of this year's competitors.

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