A total of 57 students from Richland County schools competed at the 2014 Richland County Spelling Bee at Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center on Friday morning.
Spelling Bee Coordinator Leanna Giesige said that this spelling bee has been held for more than 25 years. “ The spelling bee has been going on for many years, well before my time,” said Giesige.
Carole Neighbor assisted Giesige in coordinating the spelling bee.
Students who were in grades fourth through eighth were eligible to compete in the competition and schools that competed included Crestview, Discovery School, Foundations Academy, Lexington, Lucas, Madison, Mansfield, Plymouth-Shiloh, Sacred Heart, Shelby, St. Peter’s, and Temple Christian.
Students were divided up into two groups for the first rounds and then the final competitors were brought together to fight to be the top speller. Students were asked to spell a wide range of different words that tested their knowledge of spelling.
“The kids are very excited, but they are very nervous. However, they are so proud of themselves when they complete a word correctly and are able to move onto the next round. It really is great to see the look on their faces,” said Giesige.
Director of the Mansfield Richland Area Educational Foundation, Inc. Bill Sharp pronounced the words in the final round of the spelling bee. For the second year in a row, Anthony Katsaounis was the top speller. Katsaounis is an eighth grader at St. Pete’s. Eighth grader Bryanna Madera from Plymouth-Shiloh Schools was the runner-up.
The spelling bee was co-sponsored by Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center and Mansfield News Journal. The Tri-County Spelling Bee will take place on March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center. This spelling bee will include the top 12 spellers from Crawford, Richland, and Morrow counties.
“The kids are very excited, but they are very nervous. However, they are so proud of themselves when they complete a word correctly and are able to move onto the next round. It really is great to see the look on their faces,” said Leanna Giesige.
