YOUNGSTOWN — A seventh-grade boy from Struthers lasted nine rounds to become grand champion of the 88th annual 21-WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee in downtown Youngstown on Saturday.

Thirteen area school champions took part in the competition, which eventually was won by Christopher Dominick from Struthers Middle School, who won on the word “stalwart.” In the past, Christopher represented Struthers in the bee as a third-grader and also was scheduled to appear last year, but the bee was canceled just days prior to the event because of the pandemic.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions this year, the event was open to limited family members only.

Christopher is the son of Nicholas Dominick and Delaney Malley of Struthers.

Second place went to Shanze Bajwa, an eighth-grader from Canfield Village Middle School. Olivia Brady, a sixth-grader from Boardman Center Intermediate, took third place.

As grand champion, Christopher will go on to represent the Valley at the 94th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, scheduled to start remotely with preliminaries beginning in June and the finals to take place on July 8 as a televised in-person bee with a limited number of contestants at Disney World, Orlando, Fla.

Adam Earnheardt, a professor in the Department of Communication at Youngstown State University, served as pronouncer for the bee. Judges were the Rev. Lewis Macklin, pastor of Holy Trinity Baptist Church; Mary Kay Earnhart, a retired teacher; and Carol Ryan.

The annual 21-WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee has been a tradition in the community since 1934.