"Fatigue" helped Anna Bearss win the fifth- and sixth-grade 2008 Kosciusko County Spelling Bee Monday night.
She will go on to compete for the county title Wednesday against whoever wins the middle school title.
After more than six rounds Monday, the field was narrowed down from 16 contestants to just two - Bearss from Washington Elementary School, and Matthew Grothouse from Sacred Heart Elementary.Grothouse correctly spelled tamale, followed by Bearss' correct spelling of adamant. But Grothouse then spelled tariff as "terif." Bearss correctly spelled providence, but missed the word oregano.
Grothouse got meticulous correct, and Bearss knew hydraulic, but then Grothouse missed etymology. Bearss went for the win with crimson, but she forgot how to spell amnesia.
Grothouse was still in the game, until he misspelled bratwurst. Bearss spelled acronym correctly, and then with fatigue, she won the competition.
All contestants received a medal for competing. Bearss received a trophy and the Richard R. Long Scholarship for $2,500. Each champion in each grade level receives the scholarship for future higher education.
Bearss also moves on to competition Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center. There, five middle school county spellers will compete. The winner of the middle school competition then will face off against Bearss for the county title.
The county winner then moves on to the Area Spelling Bee at the Anthis Career Center, Fort Wayne, on March 15. The winner of the Area Spelling Bee then will represent northeast Indiana at the 81st Annual Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Anna Bearss is the daughter of Melissa and Keith Gunter. Matthew Grothouse is the son of John and Julia Grothouse.
Other contestants participating in Monday night's spelling bee included Caleb DeBoest, Harrison; Shelby Creekmore, Lincoln; Daisy Gregory, Milford School; Ben Hyden, Pierceton; Loren Railsback, Eisenhower; Audrey Anker, North Webster; Charley Ousley, Syracuse; Daniel Sandoval, Jefferson; Kristen Waikel, Madison; Brandon Murphy, Akron; Zachary Stichter, Warsaw Christian; Austin Trowbridge, Leesburg; Lauren Early, Mentone; and Hannah Tucker, HELPS Home School.
Pronouncer for the spelling bee was Tim Yeager, Syracuse. Judges were Madison Elementary teacher Doug Hoffert, Eisenhower Elementary Principal Chris Gensinger and Warsaw Schools Director of Special Services Tammy Ummel.
Kosciusko County REMC sponsored the awards for the participants and champions. Doris Lemert, REMC manager of marketing and communications, presented the awards to each student. Richard Long presented the scholarship himself.
The Louisville Courier-Journal started the national spelling bee with nine contestants in 1925. In 1941, Scripps assumed sponsorship of the program. There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee during the World War II years of 1943, 1944 and 1945. Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957 and 1962. Of the 83 champions, 43 have been girls and 40 have been boys.
