Emporia Christian School student Jennica Smith is the 2012 Lyon County Spelling Bee Champion. Smith will be joined at the statewide Kansas Regional Spelling Bee in Topeka by schoolmate Joel Dieker. Third place was won by Sacred Heart student Dylan Brown. Dieker was knocked out of the contest with the word, “extemporaneously.”
Smith’s brother Christian won the 2011 Lyon County Spelling Bee. In a post-bee interview with ETV’s Rob Gilligan, Smith said she received some extra motivation to win the county-wide competition from her father.
“He was very supportive, and he said he would give me $100 if I won,” Smith said. “He was making a joke out of it, and I made him sign on it. He didn’t think I’d win so he signed on it.”
Smith said more practice is in store for preparing for the state bee.
“Keep studying,” Smith said. “Just keep looking at words. Sometimes when I hear a word and I don’t know how it’s spelled I ask how it’s spelled.”
Dieker is also headed to Topeka for the state bee. He also said studying words is how he will prepare.
“Probably get a list from on-line and study,” Dieker said. “That’s probably what I’m going to do.”
The 2012 competition hosted by Neosho Rapids Elementary School at Hartford High School Thursday morning started with 30 fourth- through eighth-grade students. There were also 10 alternates. Those students included: Americus Elementary School — Bryce Humphreys, Karsen DeWeese, Jacob Lewis, Kaitlin Houck; Emporia Christian School — Dieker, Tanner Standerwick, Smith, Hayley Sanborn; Emporia Middle School/Turning Point Learning Center — Genesia Paolo, Colton Wellnitz, Raegen Root, Harlee Higgins; Neosho Rapids Elementary School — Shaliee Kemmerer, Nadia Pruitt, Maisie Schroeder, Dylan Farr; Neosho Rapids Junior High School — Samantha Goza, Hannah Pope, Jeffrey Hallowell, Jazmine Klumpe; Olpe Elementary School — Jenna Duncan, Briana Vogts, Chance Garriott, Haley Weiss; Olpe Junior High School — Dylan Redeker, Kyler True, Kason Ziegler, Maranda Scheller; Reading Elementary School — Emma Thomas-Martinez, Skyler Beatty, Logan Biggs, Claire Crawford; Sacred Heart School — Nathan DeJesus, Alicia Lopez, Brown, Brecklyn Williams; and St. Joseph’s School — Emma Miller, Kadon Redeker, Hanna Wecker, Colbren Hoelting.
The pronouncer was Lindy Whetzel.
The judges were Carolyn Turney, Nickie Edwards and Becky Clopton.