Regional spelling bee held in CDA
—Courtesy photo Joseph Moran, a fifth-grade student of NIHEA, poses for a photo with North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee Pronouncer Joe Jacoby after receiving first place at the 2017 North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee.
COEUR D’ALENE — Fifth-grade NIHEA student Joseph Moran, of Hayden, out-spelled 39 other fourth-through eighth-graders from the five northern counties of Idaho to become the champion speller in the 14th annual North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee March 18, at North Idaho College.
Moran is the recipient of an all-expense paid trip to the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee the end of May near Washington, D.C., courtesy of event sponsor Hagadone Newspapers. He also received a Samuel Louis Sugarman Award Certificate, a one-year membership to Britannica Online Premium edition, a one-year membership to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, a $25 Amazon Gift Card, a plaque, a medallion and a North Idaho College events pass for the 2017-2018 school year.
“It was evident that this year’s participants had spent a lot of time studying and were ready to compete,” said North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee Coordinator Mindy Patterson.
This year’s spelling bee went on for 15 rounds. The first runner up Maria Aguiar, an eighth-grade Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy student, slipped up on the word “ostentatious.” After correctly spelling “poltergeist” in the round prior, Moran correctly spelled the anticipated championship word “mediocre,” to be crowned the 2017 North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee champion.
Each of the 39 participants from 47 schools in 10 districts across North Idaho, including private school and home school divisions, received medallions and NIC events passes.
The event was sponsored by Hagadone Newspapers and coordinated/hosted by NIC.
3rd place: (Round 10) Kirby Abad, 6th grade, Lake Pend Oreille, Northside Elementary
5th place: (Round 5) Grace Priest, 5th grade, Private, North Idaho Christian School
6th place: (Round 4) Conner Erickson, 6th gRegina Claphan, 8th grade, Boundary County, Boundary County Middle School
7th place: (Round 3) Aurora Miller, 5th grade, Lake Pend Oreille, Northside Elementary
8th place: (Round 2) Ana Chase, 5th grade, Boundary County, Mt. Hall Elementary
9th place: (Round 1)
Camille Ussher, 7th grade, Boundary County, Boundary Co. Middle School
Jaycee Forell, 8th grade, Lake Pend Oreille, Sandpoint Middle School
Fisher Dail, 4th grade, Lake Pend Oreille, Farmin Stidwell Elementary
Faith Osborn, 4th grade, Home, NIHEA Home School
Abby McEwan, 6th grade, Home, INCH Home School
Izzabella Davis, 4th grade, Kootenai, Harrison Elementary
Sienna Hepworth, 6th grade, Charter, Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy
Serenity Delgado, 6th grade, Kellogg, Kellogg Middle School
Jaxon Card, 8th grade, Kellogg, Kellogg Middle School