With the Great Bend Tribune’s Sunflower Spelling Bee less than two weeks away, coordinators are working on final details. This year’s bee will see as many as 76 contestants from 66 counties.

Each county is allowed to send at least one champion, and some can send more, based on the number of schools registered to compete in the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee, to be held June 1-2 in Washington, D.C. The winner of the Sunflower Bee on March 12 will advance to the national event.

Barton County will have two champions, Allison Regehr and Ethan Woodcock, who were winner and runner-up, respectively, at the county bee sponsored by the Great Bend Noon Kiwanis on Feb. 12. Other area contestants are Greta Bauer, Pawnee County; Henry Weiner, Rice; David Conner, Rush; Sarah Pelton, Russell; and Nathanial Miller, Stafford. Of these, only Regehr has previous experience at the Sunflower Bee; she was a Barton County champion in 2009.

This is the fourth year for the Great Bend Tribune to sponsor the bee, a regional qualifier for the national. Tribune publisher Mary Hoisington said there will be several returning contestants, including 2010 champion Matthew Wegner from Labette County, and Clara Wicoff from Allen County, who has attended all four years and won the Sunflower Bee in 2009.

The 2010 runner-up Isaac Nichols from Cowley County will be back, as will Joseph Matthew from Crawford County, who has attended each year since 2009 and placed fourth in 2010. Crawford County has two entrants, and this year Joseph will be joined on stage by his sister, Gina Matthew.

A total of 12 contestants at the March 12 bee will have been there before (with two counties yet to announce their champions). These include Eva Guenter, who will represent Stanton County for the first time, but who represented Clark County in 2009.