“Linoleum. L-I-N-O-L-E-U-M. Linoleum.”
Lasting 14 rounds, fifth grader Ruby Page (right) won this year’s spelling bee. The contest was held in the new gym yesterday (December 4).
Her classmate Will Tarkey (center) took second place while sixth grader Blake Christiansen (left) was third. It was the first bee for the two fifth graders and the second for Christiansen.
After Page correctly spelled “symphony” to start round nine, Christiansen went out on “pavilions,” and Tarkey spelled “melancholy” correctly to set up a showdown between him and Page.
“I’m good at seeing words in my mind, but I just couldn’t remember it,” Christiansen said.
The two fifth graders went three rounds before, in round 13, Page correctly spelled “fruition,” and Tarkey missed on “committee.”
“I just rushed myself,” he said.
In accordance with spelling bee rules, Page had to spell another word correctly to win the bee. Otherwise, Tarkey would get another chance, and the bee would go to round 15.
But Page correctly spelled “linoleum” for the triumph.
The study list had 468 words. Page, who is more enthused about spelling than are Tarkey and Christiansen, studied all of them for a week while Tarkey focused on the more difficult words. Christiansen studied on and off for two weeks.
Three of the 16 contestants were eliminated in the first round on “bowler,” (as in 1920s hat) “lollygag” and “biceps.” In round two, “cubism” and “phantom” were the problem words. In round four, “bygone” was the only elimination word.
In round five, “newfangled” and “rogue” (vs rouge) and altar (vs alter) knocked out contestants. “Pesos” was the one elimination word in round five. In round seven, “column” and “mirage” took out two contestants to get down to Page, Christiansen and Tarkey, who each spelled their round eight word correctly.
Other fifth graders competing in the bee were Kendall Kern and Breanna Bosse. Other sixth graders competing were Griffin Rutz, Elijah Johnson and Brienna Groebner. Seventh graders competing included Hadley Thompson, Anthony Geppert, Evan Hoffmann, Anistyn Dauk and Andrew Giebel. Eighth graders competing were Brayden Seeman, Austin Tarkey and Evie Remiger.
Alternates were fifth graders Reid Johnson and Brooklyn Berg, sixth graders Sawyer Roemhildt, seventh graders Evangeline Pearson, eighth graders Clara Hilfer, Maliah Elias, Joanna Jordan, Leila Boelter and Jessilynn Milnes.
Former CHS English teacher and librarian Virginia Grabow was the pronouncer. The judges were paraprofessional Joanne Starke, counselors Megan Peterson and Shanna Roloff and junior student Dakota Lotspeich.
Helping prepare the participants were fifth-grade teachers Jeff Skinner and Katie Wolf, sixth-grade teachers Brady Hahn and Bree Meyer and high school English teacher Maddie Strenke.
Page will move on to the regional spelling bee, which is scheduled to take place at South Central College in North Mankato on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
