SPANISH FORT, Ala.—The glory was so close, Ryan Simpson and Beau Harrison could almost taste it, but only Laura DeRocher could spell it.

P-A-L-A-T-A-B-L-E earned DeRocher first place in Spanish Fort Middle School’s second annual spelling bee.

SFMS Principal Craig Ross said 33 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders qualified for the competition, but only 27 participated.

DeRocher took top honors for spelling the word Merriam Webster defines as being agreeable to the taste or acceptable to the mind.

Simpson placed second and Harrison took home third-place honors.

“Congratulations to all of our students who qualified, and special congratulations to the winners,” Ross said.