State the word. Spell the word. Restate the word.

Those were the steps required of students who competed in the District 5 CYO Spelling Bee held Wednesday at St John Neumann Regional School's Palmerton campus.The competition for sixth, seventh and eighth graders was held in multiple rooms for time purposes. Each group was given two warm-up rounds prior to the start of the contest.A trophy was awarded for first place, a small plaque for second place, and a large ribbon for third place.Among sixth-graders, Ryan Morgans from St. Jerome Regional School in Tamaqua took top honors, followed by Wyatt Trantham, St. John Neumann, second place, and Camaryn Wheeler, St. John Neumann, third place.Morgans said he thoroughly enjoyed the competition."I thought it was a great opportunity," Morgans said. "I thought it was fun."In seventh grade, Allison Amodea of Our Lady of the Angels Academy, Lansford, finished first, followed by Rose Reid, St. Jerome Regional School, second place, and Alec Leonard, McAdoo Catholic Elementary School, McAdoo, third place.Amodea said she was confident, yet nervous, at times."It was nerve-wrecking," Amodea said. "I was shaky."As for eighth-grade, Paige Stelea of McAdoo Catholic outlasted her competition to take first place, followed by Laura Lupin, St. John Neumann, second place, and Cassandra Hoben, Our Lady of the Angels Academy, third place.Stelea said at times the excitement became nearly too much to handle."I was excited and nervous," Stelea said. "I was shaking."Leslie Lupin, spelling bee coordinator, said the event enables students to showcase their smarts."It's to help kids show their talents," Lupin said. "They get to go up front and compete."Lupin said the first and second-place performers from each grade will compete at the 30th Annual Diocesan CYO Spelling Bee at 1 p.m. Nov. 13 at McAdoo Catholic.