What do the words “eucalyptus” and “marsupial” have in common? More than just koalas, including the fact that they carried a local scholar to victory on Thursday evening.

After successfully spelling both words correctly at the end of the 38th annual Belmont County Spelling Bee, eighth-grader Brett Kuprowicz claimed the grand prize. The Bridgeport student will go on to represent the county at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., at the end of May.

The trip begins with private shuttle service to Pittsburgh followed by Amtrak transportation to the nation’s capital for Harris, a parent and a teacher/coach. He also earned a $500 cash prize, first-place trophy, Merriam-Webster Unabridged online certificate, the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a plaque with the two winning words for school display, the Traveling Trophy for school display, and a one-year subscription to the Britannica Online Premium. The prizes are provided courtesy of major sponsors The Times Leader, Belmont Savings Bank, Uniglobe Travel, LED Transportation, Wilson Furniture and Wilson Funeral Homes, the Ohio River Valley Elks and the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center.

Adeline Jackson, a seventh-grader in the Catholic Consortium, is the runner-up and county alternate to the national contest. She will compete in the national bee if Harris is unable to do so. She took home a $250 cash prize, the second-place trophy and the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

The Times Leader congratulates both of these students for their outstanding performances. We also commend every student who took part in the county bee this year, and those who participated in their individual district bees.

Kudos to you, Brett Kuprowicz, for your performance Thursday evening. We wish you the best of luck in Washington, D.C.