A record 62 teams crowded into the Otago Girls High School hall last night for the year 9-10 event and, for the first time, two teams had equal points at the end of the night.
A team from Taieri College, made up of year 10 pupils Caitlin Casey-Stevens (14), Ashleigh Simpson (14) and Elisabeth Larsen (14), scored 93 points out of a possible 100, the same tally as a Bayfield High School team of year 9 pupils consisting of Alex Gibbs (13), Luke Bridgman (13) and Ben Davies (13).
The teams then proceeded to a sudden death round but after spelling seven words were still level, so it was decided to split the first prize.
Both teams finished just one point ahead of another Bayfield High School team.
For the record, the seven words the teams spelt correctly in the sudden death section were: manoeuvre, schizophrenia, chrysanthemum, seismological, lieutenant, silhouette, and kaleidoscope.
