For a second straight year, Leo Furlong is the champion of the Ball State PBS Regional Spelling Bee.
On March 8, Mr. Furlong, a sixth grader at Burris Laboratory School in Muncie, secured the 2025 regional title by correctly spelling 'leviathan,' earning a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this Spring in Washington, D.C. The semifinals and finals will be held May 27-29.
This year’s Ball State PBS Regional Spelling Bee featured 41 spellers from 29 area schools and lasted eight rounds. Christopher Li, a seventh grader from Heritage Hall Christian Middle School in Muncie, earned runner-up honors.
Spellers competed at Sursa Performance Hall in an event set to air on Ball State PBS at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, and again at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 5. It will also be streamed on the Ball State Public Media mobile app and the PBS App.
“This year’s Ball State PBS Regional Spelling Bee showcased an impressive level of skill and dedication from students across the area,” said Ashley Mann, community education manager at Ball State Public Media. “It was inspiring to watch these young spellers tackle challenging words with confidence and composure.”
Felicia Gray, assistant lecturer of elementary education at Ball State, served as pronouncer for the competition. The judges—tasked with tracking every word and verifying spelling accuracy—were Stephanie Wiechmann, managing editor and host at Indiana Public Radio, and Dr. Kay Stickle, professor emerita of education at Ball State. Spellers prepared for the competition by studying “Words of the Champions,” a 4,000-word list provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
As part of his victory, Mr. Furlong earns a spot at the national competition along with the following prizes:
- The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award—a 2025 United States Mint Proof Set provided by Jay Sugarman, chairman and CEO of iStar Financial, in honor of his father. Mr. Furlong will receive the prize this Summer.
- Britannica Online Premium—a one-year subscription for the premier online resource from Encyclopædia Britannica.
- Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online—a one-year subscription for the official word source for all levels of competition for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
- All-expenses-paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee
- Ray Ban sunglasses with case from Family Vision Care
- $75 Visa gift card, courtesy of Sam Pierce Chevrolet
- $25 gift card from Dave’s Video
- $25 gift card from Culver’s Muncie
- Prize pack filled with goodies from Ball State University’s Teachers College
Ball State PBS has sponsored the regional bee event for nine years. The competition encourages the exploration of words and lifelong curiosity, with a focus on helping students set goals and dedicate time to study and prepare. Participation in the bee program also provides an opportunity for students to gain experience in public speaking and poise under pressure.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee provides the list of words for the regional competition. The Bee reaches millions of students across the country and in other parts of the world with the classroom materials it provides to enrolled schools.
This year’s Ball State PBS Regional Spelling Bee was presented by Family Vision Care. Ball State’s Teachers College covered school fees for participating students, while the Muncie Optimist Club sponsored the championship word. Additional support came from Avila Orthodontics, Wilhoite Family Dental, Masters Insurance, The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, Sam Pierce Chevrolet, and Scott E. Trout DDS.