The Nemaha Central School held its annual Spelling Bee to kick off the second semester. On January 10, students who won their respective grade-level spelling bees participated in a friendly competition, taking turns spelling designated words. The event proved to be a competitive showcase of talent. In the end, six students were selected to advance to the county competition, scheduled in Centralia on January 25.
A spelling competition was held for students in the fifth through eighth grades, featuring participants Norah Palmer, Evan Ross, Corbin Meyer, Miles Kuckelmen, Trey Stuke, Lily Romney, Will Martin, Ethan Jost, Mason Enneking, Anna Jost, Hudson Kuckelman, and Jayla Nolte. The rules of the Spelling Bee were simple: competitors were given a word to spell and they could request the definition of a word or ask for it to be used in a sentence. Once they began spelling, they could not correct any mistakes. Each round concluded after every student had spelled their assigned word. Any student who misspelled their word was eliminated from the competition. The event consisted of a total of 26 rounds.
The competition was long and intense, and half of the participants were eliminated early. Six finalists were already determined: Jayla Nolte, Will Martin, Anna Jost, Mason Enneking, Norah Palmer, and Lily Romney. Despite the fierce competition, the remaining contestants faced challenges that led to their eventual eliminations, leaving only three competitors: Anna Jost, Will Martin, and Jayla Nolte.
Eventually, Anna Jost was eliminated, leaving Will Martin and Jayla Nolte as the last two competitors. The contest for first place was highly competitive, with both participants demonstrating exceptional skill. Ultimately, Will Martin made a mistake in spelling his word, resulting in his elimination.
Will Martin said, “It was a hard battle but in the end, I didn’t quite win.”
Although Jayla Nolte was declared the winner, she still needed to spell another word to secure her victory officially. She successfully spelled the final word, "skeptical," and claimed first place.
Jayla Nolte said, “It was exciting to finally get a win, it was an amazing experience.”
The competition was intense, but the participants performed admirably, and the top six are expected to represent NC well at the upcoming County Spelling Bee.
Article by: Lily Smith