Maurissa Isaacs repeats as champ, Jae Faber finishes as the runner-up
Eighty-two total words were pronounced through 10 rounds – from “rug” to “ostracism” – separating the beginning field of spellers in the 2014 Mountain Lake Public School Spelling Bee to the eventual champion. Topping the field of 13 spellers, and advancing to the Regional Spelling Bee, was seventh-grader Maurissa Isaacs in a repeat performance. Maurissa was also first last year and earned runner-up spot in the 2013 Regional Spelling Bee. Finishing as runner-up was eighth-grade student, Jae Faber. Jareya Harder, another eighth-grader, was third.
Maurissa correctly spelled the word “ostracism,” allowing her to move on to “monochrome,” which she completed exactly as Webster’s Dictionary has it, to clinch the title.
This year’s Bee was held Thursday afternoon, January 23, 2014, in the school’s elementary library. Pronouncer was Elementary/High School Counselor Jody Lepp, with Elementary Principal Karl Wassman and Amy Hartzler, school social worker, serving as judges. Pam Osland, media center assistant, was the Spelling Bee Coordinator, assisted by Jean Haberman.
Throughout the Bee, the spellmasters from grades five-through-eight had to crack the spelling code for words that included bebop, frump, pontiff, betrothal, grouse, divvy, asylum, insinuate, lambasted, bulbous, hermitage, wheedle, charioteer, recoup – and, of course, ostracism and monochrome.
The school’s annual Spelling Bee featured students from each of the participating four grades – two from each of the fifth-grade classrooms, two from one sixth-grade classroom along with three from the second sixth-grade class section; and four each from the seventh- and eighth-grades.
The Regional Spelling Bee will be held in the Conference Center at South Central College in North Mankato, Minnesota on Tuesday, February 18, 2014. The winner of the Regional Spelling Bee advances to the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D. C., traditionally held during the first week of June.
South Central Service Cooperative sponsors the Spelling Bee for the South-Central Region of Minnesota. Counties covered by this event include both Cotonwood and Watonwan Counties, along with Blue Earth, Brow, Faribault, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley and Waseca Counties.
For her efforts, Maurissa additionally received a medal and a Webster’s Dictionary/Thesaurus, certificate and pencil.
Runner-up Jae also received a medal, certificate and pencil.
The remaining participants each received a certificate and a pencil.
Competing in the Spelling Bee were:
Fifth Grade – Noah Rempel, Sabrina Hanson, Jose Garnica and Kelly Watkins.
Sixth Grade – Jon Faber, Adam Karschnik, Paxton Morin, Jasmine Vongsy and Anna Kirk.
Seventh Grade – Sierra Pankratz, Regan Syverson, Maurissa Isaacs and Jesse Jepsen.
Eighth grade – Jae Faber, Jareya Harder, Kristina Vongkaenchanh and Travis Willaby.
