Students compete in Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee

Posted February 21, 2017 10:00 pm

Submitted by Tom Loch

Twenty sixth- through eighth-grade students, representing 11 area junior high and middle schools, competed in the 35th annual Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington Heights.

The first-place finisher was Erin Cavender of St. Emily School, Mount Prospect; second place was Camille Martinez, also of St. Emily School; and third place was Jackson Yu of Thomas Middle School, Arlington Heights.

The Bee used 160 words and lasted 17 rounds. Throughout the Bee, spellers correctly spelled words such as pirouetted, sanctum sanctorum, ascetic, decrepitude, remonstrance, and pterodactyl. The Bee concluded when Erin Cavender spelled both patronymic and cayenne correctly to claim first place.

All three finalists have qualified to compete in the Regional Spelling Bee on March 4 in Glenview, where the top three finishers of the Regional Bee will qualify for the state tournament in April.

Schools and students participating in the Spelling Bee were:

Arlington Heights

• St. James Junior High School: Christi Hansen and Emily Madden

• St. Peter School: Carl Moland-Kovash and Grant Smith

• South Middle School: Sadie Doctor and Julia Zera

• Thomas Middle School: Jackson Yu and Lizzie Ferrazza

Mount Prospect

• Holmes Middle School: Anthony Rios and Monique Valdepenas

• River Trails Middle School: Joseph Thalackan

• St. Emily School: Erin Cavender and Camille Martinez

• St. Paul School: Jack Mannion and Nick Kurowski

• St. Raymond School: Kelly Huang and Amanda Pinter

Prospect Heights

• MacArthur Middle School: Lauren Ruan and Paul Shreiber

Rolling Meadows

• St. Colette School: Valerie Guerrero and Rebecca Harris

The Bee was hosted by Holy Rosary Council No. 4483 of Arlington Heights, and co-sponsored with Mount Prospect Council No. 6481 and Our Lady of the Grove Council No. 13448.

All public and private junior high and middle schools serving Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, Long Grove, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling were invited to send two representatives to participate.

• Submit 'Your News' at www.dailyherald.com/share.

The 2017 Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee finalists are: Erin Cavender, seated, and Camille Martinez and Jackson Yu. Courtesy of Tom Loch

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.