Ingle takes trophy at IMS bee

2/2009

Words were the game pieces for 18 students in Iola Middle School’s spelling bee Wednesday afternoon. Students popped up from their seats one after another tackling microphone, fifteen, history and stamina. They easily swept through renovate, pigtail and hotel.
The first homonym, bizarre, came with a dictionary definition, but such clues weren’t routinely used. No sentences, context or grammatical addenda were offered with the words.
Sometimes, the whir of overhead fans prompted contestants to ask former state spelling champ Kent Toland to repeat the word again — or again — or again.
Food stuffs were the first to trip up students. Raisin and pretzel felled Alyssa Zimmerman and Cody Cokely. Jaguar got Cassandra Boyer.
Remaining contestants ran through algebra, shampoo and magician without harm. Intermittently, more fell out. The field was pared to nine.
Through replicate and succession and knowledge, they soldiered on. Then pharmacy took one, and others began to fall. Four in a row succumbed, then two more.
Bouquet brought inquiry into country of origin after it was pronounced “bo-ket.” The information didn’t help. Mason Coons would have to settle for third.
The field was down to two: Sydni Haen and Mickey Ingle, both seventh graders, were left standing. They would now play by different rules: a misspelled word would require the other contestant to spell it correctly, before attempting a new word of her own.
Cauliflower quickly eliminated Sydni, while Mickey polished it off, and ultimatum, too.
Applause and a trophy announced Mickey as the new IMS spelling bee champ.
Next week, the top three finalists from eight elementary and middle schools throughout Allen County vie for the title of county spelling bee champion. The winner will move on to the state level. The county bee will be held Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. in the Dale P. Creitz Recital Hall in the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.

REPRESENTING Iola Middle School will be Mickey Ingle and Sydni Haen, seventh grade, and Mason Coons and alternate Levi Ashmore, eighth grade.
From Jefferson Elementary: Fifth graders Clara Wicoff and Brett Taylor, fourth grader Joel Zimmerman and alternate Mikaela Platt, grade 5.
Lincoln Elementary: Ricky Dawn III, grade 5, Alexis Heslop, grade 4, Taylor Heslop, grade 5 and alternate Claire Moran, grade 5.
McKinley Elementary: Fifth graders Taelyn Sutterby, Jacob Marlow, Yohon Sinclair and alternate Krystal Kelzer.
From Marmaton Valley Elementary: Sixth graders Emily Boyd and Payton Wilson, fifth grader Tanna Lutz and alternate Molly Hamlin, grade 6.
Humboldt Elementary: Fifth graders Austin Heisler, Caley Schomaker and Dillon Aikins, plus alternate Jeremiah Scheimann, grade 4.
Humboldt Middle School: Layne Gonzalez, seventh grade, Carly Jones, eighth grade, Alex Murrow and alternate Billie Bockover, both seventh grade.
LaHarpe: Third graders Camryn Peck, Barry Porter, Katie Bauer and alternate Macayla Bycroft.