FOXBOROUGH, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–After a weekend filled with unscrambling dozens of letters and locating coveted vowels, the student SCRABBLE team of Jem Burch and Zach Ansell, from Los Angeles, Calif. took home the title of 2017 North American School SCRABBLE Champions. More than 150 top School SCRABBLE players in grades 4 through 12 competed in the 15^th annual North American School SCRABBLE Championship at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The winning duo was awarded a prestigious $10,000 grand prize after defeating dozens of enthusiastic teams.

“The number of bright and talented SCRABBLE players we see every year never fails to impress me,” said Jonathan Berkowitz, senior vice president of marketing, Hasbro Gaming. “The competition in the 15^th annual North American School SCRABBLE Championship was fierce – but fun – and we want to thank all of the participants, coaches, families, and friends who joined Hasbro for a weekend filled with extraordinary SCRABBLE gameplay.”

Eighth-grader Jem Burch and seventh-grader Zach Ansell, also known by their SCRABBLE team name Random Word Generators are both former School SCRABBLE Champions. The duo played eight tournament rounds throughout the weekend, out-spelling their final opponents 374-349 with high-scoring words such as EUGENIA, INFARES, ENTRESOL and STEEPING.

The winners of the newly-formed Challenge Division, geared towards newer SCRABBLE players and first time competitors in grades 4 through 12 was won by teammates Audrey Benford from Potomac, Md. and Dina Lacugna from Fairfield, Conn. The winner of the newly formed High School Division was Kevin Bowerman from Chapel Hill, NC.

This year, the North American School SCRABBLE Championship was officiated by Mindsports International. To learn more about playing competitively as part of the community of School SCRABBLE players, visit schoolscrabble.us. For more information on the SCRABBLE brand, visit Hasbro.com/SCRABBLE and follow @HasbroNews on Twitter.

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences, by leveraging its beloved brands, including LITTLEST PET SHOP, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MONOPOLY, MY LITTLE PONY, NERF, PLAY-DOH and TRANSFORMERS, and premier partner brands. From toys and games, television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and consumer product licensing, Hasbro fulfills the fundamental need for play and connection with children and families around the world. The Company’s Hasbro Studios and its film label, ALLSPARK PICTURES, create entertainment brand-driven storytelling across mediums, including television, film, digital and more. Through the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

SCRABBLE, the associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game board, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2017 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.