CATIE HAMMOND COMPETES AT STATE SPELLING BEE
Launch the media gallery 1 playerWhat do the words bildunsroman, meistersinger, recalcitrant and acquiescence all have in common? They're all words from the State Spelling Bee held in Hays, Kansas, March 8th, 2014.
Catie Hammond, an 8th grader, from Argonia Middle School represented Sumner County in this year's State Spelling Bee. Catie won the County Bee in October and has been preparing for the State Bee since then.
Catie made it to the 2nd round of the Spelling Bee which went 17 rounds before a winner was announced. Sterling Holland, from Leavenworth County, defended his State Spelling Bee title and was this year's winner again. The Spelling Bee lasted almost 5 hours before the winner was crowned.
"I was nervous as I was running words through my head waiting for the Bee to start, but I think it helped that my number was 7. That's Mrs. Lawrence and Cassidy Boese's lucky number! As I sat on the stage, I realized that there were a lot of kids here, 83 of them. A lot of the kids seemed almost too small to be here, but may the best speller win. My thoughts during the Spelling Bee was I was mostly glad I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I was mostly just hoping that I wouldn't get out on the first round, but when they said my word 'rapport' in the second round, I knew I was done. I was a little upset when I lost though, because I knew a lot of the words after I got out. It was a great experience and an honor to be there. It was a lot of fun!"
