Annual Belmont County Spelling Bee Winner to Advance to Scripps National Spelling Bee
On February 10, the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center and the Times Leader held the 36th annual Belmont County Spelling Bee at Belmont College.
The Spelling Bee competitors consisted of 18 fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students throughout the county. All seven public schools in Belmont County had students competing as well as students from local Catholic and Christian Schools Consortiums.
The first-place winner was seventh grader Jacob Theaker from Martins Ferry Middle School. Second place went to sixth grader Gracie Evans from Martins Ferry Christian School (part of the Christian Schools Consortium). Eighth grader Lizi Viczian from St. Mary’s in St. Clairsville (part of the Catholic Schools Consortium) took home third place. The fourth-place winner from Union Local Middle School was eighth grader Maggie Milliken.
Each winner received a prize donated by event sponsors. Theaker will move on to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. His prize includes the cost of his trip for himself, one parent, and one teacher/coach, a $500 cash prize, his first-place trophy, a one-year subscription to the Britannica Online Premium, The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a plaque with the two winning words for the school to display, and a traveling trophy for the school to display. The Amtrak travel is compliments of Uniglobe Travel. Airport Limousine Service, Inc. is providing shuttle service to the Pittsburgh Amtrak Station.
Evans received a $250 cash prize, a second-place trophy, and a Merriam-Webster collegiate dictionary. Viczian went home with a third-place trophy and a $150 cash prize. Milliken’s prizes included a fourth-place trophy and a $100 cash prize.
All competitors received ribbons, certificates, and bobble heads (sponsored by the Ohio River Valley Elks Club). All finalists that finished in places 5-18 received a $50 certificate that could be redeemed for cash from the Belmont Savings Bank and a $20 “Fat Apple Golden Ticket” from Bordas & Bordas.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is being held in the Washington D.C. area the week of May 29 – on June 4.