BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A seventh-grader from Lewistown will represent Montana in the Scripps National Spelling Bee after an administrative oversight that had put her appearance in doubt was fixed.

Madelyn Kirsch won the Treasure State Spelling Bee on Saturday. As the winner, she received an all-expenses paid trip to Washington to participate in the national competition.

But a three-year-old rule requires that schools enroll in the national bee and pay a fee by a certain date or the student can't advance in the competition. The 13-year-old's school, Lewistown Junior High, had not done so.

Principal Tim Majerus told the Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/GVg22q ) that he did not know about the requirement. He contacted Treasure State Bee director Kim Schweikert, who "made some phone calls" so that Madelyn could go to Washington.

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