Extraordinary competition

The Vindicator's 72nd Regional Spelling Bee gave a new definition to friendly competition.
Not that the bee hasn't been a model of decorum in the past. No spectator has every thrown a drink at a speller and no speller has ever rushed the stands -- needless to say.
But in no one's memory has there been a scene like that in Saturday's bee, when two old friends faced off in a spell-down for the trophy. And when everyone watching knew that no matter which one won, it would be OK with the other.
As Sunday's story reported, Ellyanna Kessler, an eighth-grader at Boardman Center Middle School, and Dori Levy, an eighth-grader at W.S. Guy Middle School in Liberty were grade-school friends at Akiva Academy and still dance together at Ballet Western Reserve.
To make a long story short, Dori slipped up on succinct, a word Ellyanna knew because she had read it in a book just the night before. Such a quirk separated the champion, Ellyanna, from the runner-up, Dori. But there was no separating them on stage, as they hugged each other, both beaming for the camera.
From the picture on Sunday's front page, a reader couldn't guess which was the winner. Maybe because good friends are always winners.