MANSFIELD — For the second year in a row, Lexington Local School District’s Maggie Sheridan won the Richland County Spelling Bee Thursday morning at the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center.
Sheridan outspelled 62 other participants from 13 area schools, including one of her triple sisters Katie and a fierce Madison eighth grader with a name worthy of a winner, Lilly Champion, who came in second place.
“I was nervous. Then, I wasn’t. And now I feel relieved,” Sheridan said after winning the competition. “And I feel really proud that I was able to make this two years in row.”
After Champion misspelled “ellipses” in the ninth round, Sheridan correctly spelled “architectural” and the championship word “decrepitude” for the win.
But even without her title, 14-year-old Sheridan has a “wild card pass,” which might give her a chance to attend the national spelling bee, even if she doesn’t win the regional one.
Sheridan first participated in a spelling bee as a fifth grader. Last year, she was the Richland County, Tri-County and Regional champion and placed 23rd in the national competition.
“My goal is to make the most of my time,” Sheridan said. “Mostly I’m preparing for the regional and national bees.”
This will be her last chance to participate.
Sheridan prepares for spelling bees with a computer program from Hexco, which provides audio of “national level words” and information like the word’s origin, alternative pronunciations and more.
Her sister Katie adds that they will study lists of past words.
She joined her sister as a sixth grader in the local spelling bees. She earned third place in the Tri-County bee, but didn’t make it that far in seventh grade. This year, she was one of the final five spellers, which allows her the chance to continue to the Tri-County competition.
“I’m just trying to get second place because I know she’s (Maggie’s) going to get first,” Katie said.
Runner-up to Maggie Sheridan, Lilly Champion also expressed excitement about moving forward.
“I’m somewhere between ecstatic and euphoric,” she said.
The Sheridan sisters, Champion and nine others will represent Richland County in the Tri-County Spelling Bee Thursday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, 890 W. Fourth St.
The top 12 spellers from Crawford, Richland and Morrow Counties will participate. Read about the winner of Crawford County’s winner here.
The public is welcome to attend the spelling bee.
In case of poor weather conditions, the alternate date is February 15.
