Fifth Street Middle School seventh-grader Katie Szal is headed to the county spelling bee championship after her recent win in a local middle school contest.

The 12-year-old pupil competed against 19 other middle school students from her own school and from the Garland Street Middle School on Thursday. Szal took the top honors, defeating eighth-grader Anya Lewis, 12, from the Garland Street school. The winning word was stegosaurus.

Szal will be taking her spelling talents to the county spelling bee which will be held 6:30 p.m. March 14 at the Bangor Baptist Church. The contest is sponsored by the Maine Sunday Telegram.

Szal is the daughter of Paul and Christine Szal of Bangor. Lewis is the daughter of Donald and Terri Lewis, also of Bangor.