Two Simi Valley girls will compete in a countywide spelling bee later this month after winning the local competition on Feb.19.

Erin Hollander, 13, and Laura Hamilton, 11, eliminated 22 contenders to become the official best spellers of Simi Valley. Last year, Erin was a local runner-up.

Erin is a seventh-grader at Hillside Middle School and Laura is a sixth-grader at Follow Hills Fundamental School.

The countywide competition will be March 27 at Camarillo City Hall. The winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the national Scripps Howard Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

—Billie Owens