West Liberty-Salem fourth grader Brayden Hupp won this year’s elementary school spelling bee, correctly spelling “memorial” for the win after 18 rounds, and fourth-grader Drew Boyer was the runner-up.
For the West Liberty-Salem Middle School spelling bee, seventh grader Ava Dixon was this year’s champion, and the winning word was “equator.” Sixth-grader Atticus Loudenback was runner-up and eighth-grader Abby Miller, 8th grade, came in third.
The elementary school contest featured eight fourth-graders and eight fifth-graders selected to participate after competing in classroom level competition in December. Curriculum Director Stacy Dunn moderated, while intervention specialists Christiana Beres and Emily Jurich, and fourth-grade teacher Betsy Kale judged the event.
At the middle school level, winners from individual classes included: sixth-graders Elijah Christison and Naomi Cole, seventh-graders Owen Barger and Caleb Hershberger, and eight-graders Grace Tomlin and Slade Merriman. Fellow competitors included sixth-graders Brevin Louden, Dylan King, Mason Helms, Geneva Estep, Atticus Louderback, and Sadie Paul. Seventh-graders were Aidon Koons, Edie Keller, Isabella Hardwick, and Ava Dixon. Eighth-graders Grace Tomlin, Slayde Merriman, Zoey Kauffman, Maddie Cole, Sophia Hardwick, Abby Miller, Julia Wilson, and Addie McCauley competed as well.
Spelling bee champions Ava and Brayden will compete in an online vocabulary and spelling test in March against other champions throughout Ohio. This test determines their eligibility for the state spelling bee in the spring.