Doesnt take a psychic to see Chestnut Ridge spelling bee as 2012 winner
By Dave Mast
February 2, 2012
479
Most students come into their school spelling bee with little experience in the art of standing in front of a large crowd spelling words that are oftentimes unfamiliar to them. A few of the more fortunate ones have participated in a bee before and have the luxury of having a little bit of experience.
For Chestnut Ridge seventh-grader Angela Miller, coming up with the proper spelling for words is as easy as putting one letter in front of the other, considering that she was last years Chestnut Ridge spelling bee winner and represented her school at the GlenOak High School Regional bee last spring.
So it was to nobodys surprise when Miller correctly spelled the word telepathic in the 18th round to claim the 2012 title, again qualifying her for the GlenOak Regional to be held on Saturday, March 3, at 1:30 p.m.
Shes a great little speller, said J.T. Luneborg, Chestnut Ridge principal. She has been in this situation before and understands what it is all about.
Miller entered the 18th round and correctly spelled her word before watching sixth-grader Lydia Troyer miss on the word punctual, and the only other contestant left standing was Kristina Hochstetler. When Hochstetler, who hails from a long line of incredibly gifted spelling siblings, misfired on the word schooner, it opened the door for Miller, who quickly spelled the word telepathic to claim the ticket to GlenOak.
Having won the competition for the second year in a row, Miller took the win in stride, noting that she did the majority of practicing spelling at home. As for the joy of spelling, Miller didnt not say that she doesnt like to spell.
Its not something that I dont like doing, said Miller in a cryptic response.
Either way, she is now registered to compete at the next level, although she isnt sure if she will do so after heading up north and undergoing the experience at GlenOak.
I may not go up again this year, said Miller, who bowed out in the second round, where the words are much more difficult than they used to be due to the number of participants that qualify for the event now. In prior years, Holmes County would only send one winner from the overall county spelling bee to GlenOak. However, with rule changes several years ago, each school can now qualify to send their own champion, meaning more competitors.
Hochstetler, who missed the word schooner, is a polished speller who missed a word she probably knew. She did a nice job, she just got a word wrong, it happens, said Luneborg.
I studied about every evening with my mom, said Hochstetler, whose sister found her way to the National competition in Washington, D.C. She has also had several other siblings win the local bee, but she said that there was no pressure to win from her family.
They just told me to go do my best, said Hochstetler, an eighth-grader.
A total of 21 students participated in the bee, and spellers ranged from sixth to eighth grade. That number is down a little bit from years past, said Luneborg. There is this sense of pressure on the kids, but I tell them, in the end, that everyone but one person is going to miss a word, and to just go out and do their best.
Aside from the three finalists, participants in the Chestnut Ridge bee included, in order of their spelling bee position: Esther Schlabach, Matthew Hershberger, Lewis Troyer, James Shetler, Lewis A. Miller, Wilbur Miller, Marcus Miller, Diane Yoder, Karen Miller, Tony Mullet, Myron Yoder, Kristen Yoder, Sheila Miller, Loretta Miller, Matt Troyer, Sandy Detweiler, Leroy Miller and Marlin Miller.
