Competing among 22 finalists from grades 5-8 in Wednesday night’s Century Middle School spelling bee, the top three spellers included a sixth grader and two fifth graders.
Sponsored by the Park Rapids Century PTA, the bee took place in the high school auditorium with pronouncer Jeremy Nelson and judges Lora Nelson and RaNae Doll.
In a nine-round contest spanning more than an hour, spelling words included wattles, invigorating, wreaked, technique, dutifully, emboldened, contessa, renowned and cardigan.
Third-place speller Jesse Simmons, a fifth grader, faltered in the eighth round with the word “corridor.”
In the final round, fifth grader Elsie Forbes ran into trouble with “instinctive.” Sixth-grader Jordan Harding then correctly spelled “ransacked” and “trodden” for the championship.
ADVERTISEMENT
The top three winners received Amazon gift cards – $50 for Simmons, $75 for Forbes and $100 for Harding. Harding also won a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica, and both Forbes and Harding will advance to the regional spelling bee Feb. 8 in Thief River Falls.
