Jason Arndt, jarndt@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Karelyn Malliet, left, is presented with the district spelling bee trophy by Mary Kramer, principal of Shawano Community Middle School. The eighth-grader won her fourth straight district title Wednesday.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Cameron Watters, a seventh-grader at Shawano Community Middle School, ponders the correct spelling of “hydroponic” during the final round of the Shawano School District spelling bee Wednesday. He placed second.
Karelyn Malliet successfully defended her Shawano School District spelling bee title Wednesday.
The three-time champion and preliminary finalist at the E.W. Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington last year correctly spelled “cinnamon” to capture her fourth district crown.
Malliet, an eighth-grade student at Shawano Community Middle School, beat out 38 other contenders to advance to the Feb. 9 regional competition at Clintonville High School.
“It is nice and (I) am pretty happy about it,” she said. “I wish the words were a lot harder. I like challenges.”
The 14-year-old said she had been studying the list of 450 words since the start of the school year.
Seventh-grader Cameron Watters from SCMS finished second and fourth-grader Seth Williams from Olga Brener Intermediate School placed third.
“I think it was a good competition, and we had some strong contenders,” said SCMS Principal Mary Kramer, who stepped in for district spelling bee coordinator Craig Ferch as moderator.
Watters was apprehensive about entering the competition when he learned Malliet would return to defend her title in her final year of eligibility.
“When I heard about Karelyn Malliet, I thought, should I still try my best?” Watters said. “But I thought nothing of it and kept trying my best, so here I am today.”
He began spelling competitively when he was in fourth grade at Olga Brener Intermediate School and placed third in last year’s bee.
Watters admitted he struggled to spell “jocularity” and “hydroponic” during the final round. He correctly spelled hydroponic to capture second place.
With Malliet appearing at her final spelling bee, Watters was optimistic he could capture the 2016 district title.
“I am hoping that next year I can take first,” he said.
Kramer, who presented the top three finishers with trophies, was also happy to see about two dozen parents attend the bee.
The parents and other competitors gave Malliet, Watters and Williams a round of applause for advancing beyond the third round.
“I was really excited about the parent turnout, and the kids were amazing and well-behaved,” Kramer said.
Forty-three students entered the bee: 11 in eighth grade, 10 in seventh grade, eight in sixth grade, and seven in both the fourth and fifth grades.
Malliet and Watters will receive free online subscriptions to Encyclopedia Britannica.