01-30-2004MENTONE – As a fifth grader in 2001, Matthew Christy was runner-up in the Kosciusko County Spelling Bee.
Thursday, as an eighth-grader, he won the spelling championship with the word “neckerchief.”
Christy, a homeschooler, will represent Kosciusko County in Fort Wayne on March 13.
Runner-up Kirsten Hansen, sixth grader at Redeemer Lutheran School, misspelled “concession.” Christy then spelled “forage” and “neckerchief” to win.
Due to school cancellations Tuesday and Wednesday, both the elementary and middle school spelling bees and the championship round were held Thursday at Mentone Elementary School.
To advance to the championship round, Christy had to out-spell seven other middle school students from the county. He and Lakeland Christian Academy eighth grader Jamie Fivecoate outlasted the other six. Fivecoate then misspelled “unilaterally,” which Christy spelled correctly. He spelled “counterpane” to win the middle school round. The competition lasted approximately five rounds.
There were 23 students competing in the elementary school portion of the spelling bee and it took approximately 12 rounds to find the winner.
In the end, Hansen went up against Jefferson Elementary sixth grader Ben Sanborn.
Sanborn incorrectly spelled “litmus.” Hansen then spelled “diva” and “sable” both correctly to win the elementary competition.
Other participants in the spelling bee in the elementary competition include:
Tyler Adams, Atwood Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Cindy Thomas; Ashley Bradford, Silver Lake Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Ann Sibray; Braxton Breske, Washington Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Pardee Gunter; Candice Burke, Syracuse Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Karen Green; Corrie Chang, Claypool Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Shirley Fleming; Justin Clemens, Sacred Heart, sixth grade, teacher Dorothy Kissell; Heather Cummings, HELPS homeschoolers, fifth grade, teacher Leanne Cummings; Tom Eiser, Triton Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Randy Cripe; Brody Everts, Leesburg Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Chris Bonifield; Kirsten Hansen, Redeemer Lutheran, sixth grade, teachers Oliver Schlegel and Faith Doyle; Holly Kolber, Milford Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Betsy Likens; Kecia Kosins, Warsaw Christian, fifth grade, teacher Jeanine Bowdler; Dylan Murphy, Akron Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Blaine Conley; Adriann Negreros, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, sixth grade, teacher Nicki Early; Gayle Peters, South Whitley Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Peg Roberts; Nicole Potter, Harrison Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Ed Jarrett; Alexandria Reed, Pierceton Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Mr. Rhodes; Nicole Rhodes, North Webster Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Jeff Reed; Sarah Richardson, Lincoln Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Mrs. Helfrich; Ben Sanborn, Jefferson Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Sandy McClellan; Jordan Satoski, Mentone Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Becky Smith; Kaitalyn Smith, Eisenhower Elementary, fifth grade, teacher Jan Knoop; and Miles Wynn, Madison Elementary, sixth grade, teacher Doug Hoffert.
Other participants in the spelling bee in the middle school competition include:
Aaron Beach, Edgewood Middle School, seventh grade, teacher Dan Beam; Matthew Christy, HELPS homeschoolers, eighth, teacher Wendy Christy; Caitlin Conley, Milford Elementary, eighth, teacher Debbi Collings; Jamie Fivecoate, Lakeland Christian, eighth, teacher Karen Bell; Josh Foster, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, eighth, teacher Susan Eller; Scott Kramer, Wawasee Middle, seventh, teacher Lori Dixon; Tammanna Ranadive, Lakeview Middle School, eighth, teacher Mrs. Smith; and Thomas Winget, Whitko Middle School, eighth, teacher Betty Overdeer.
Pronouncers for the 2004 Kosciusko County spelling bee were Katie Miller, Cheryl Meyers and Rita Simpson. Judges were Ann Chubb, Bonnie Kramer, Brett Boggs, Pam Smith, Cindy Kimmel and Jo Gamble and auxiliary judge Melanie Vanlaningham. Spelling bee coordinator was Angie Miller. Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. hosted this year’s spelling bee.