The Gila Monsters robotics team competed in the 2012 Arizona Regional FIRST Robotics Competition last week and placed 24th. The team, made up of 12 high school students, competed against 50 teams from Arizona, New Mexico, Brazil, Canada and Mexico.

The 25th annual Invitational of Champions Track and Field Day was held Friday for Yuma-area middle schoolers at Carver Track. Students from all over Yuma competed in events and earned bragging rights for their school.

Teams from Yuma area Junior High Schools competed for the chance to go to the state competition this spring.

Victoria Pena, 8th grade student at Crane Middle School, won the 67th Annual Yuma County Spelling Bee. Jacque Quintana from Dateland Elemenary placed 2nd while Yazan Abdella, a 5th-grade student from Desert View Academy, placed 3rd. Word: 'streusel'

Deanna Venditelli took some time out of her busy schedule Saturday to talk to YumaSun.com about her role as the Arizona Odyssey of the Mind Western Regional diretor.