LITTLE ROCK — Avery Grayson Williams of Grant County is the winner of the 2021 Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas State Spelling Bee. The Sheridan Middle School student is the son of Nick and Summer Williams.
Williams competed with 47 other students from across Arkansas at the event that was held on Saturday, March 13 at the Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock. Newton County was represented by Newton County Champion Aaden Carter, a fourth grader from Jasper Elementary.
Second place was won by the 2020 Winner Thomas Sinclair of Garland County. There was a three-way tie for third place between Charles Akin Johnson of Washington County, Sanjay Vontala of Benton County and Aiden Watson of Columbia County.
Approximately 42,243 students from 294 schools in 57 counties across Arkansas participated in local and county contests that leading up to the State Spelling Bee contest. Williams, the Arkansas winner, will proceed to The Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program.