Fifth-grader finishes 2nd in annual spelling bee
By JESSICA LUTGENS
Staff Writer
Anton Domeier is not once, but twice the victor, the eighth-grader having claimed his second consecutive first-place honor at NRHEG’s annual Spelling Bee on Thursday, Jan. 24. Placing second was fifth grader Adalyn Stadheim, daughter of Darren and Linda Stadheim.
The competition began at 9:30 a.m. in the New Richland High School gymnasium where 24 fifth through eighth grade students eagerly awaited their chance to prove their spelling skills at the podium. Braving the cold to witness the event were parents, relatives, and other spectators, along with teachers and excited classmates filling the bleachers.
After announcer Mark Domeier welcomed everyone to this year’s competition and explained the rules, the first round was underway. One speller was eliminated after misspelling “wary.” Twenty-three spellers then started the second round, which ended with three more eliminated.
Round five saw the competition heat up a bit. Fourteen contestants remained when the round began, with words like “knelt,” “jerkily,” and “despair” having sent more spellers to the bench in the third and fourth rounds. By the time the fifth round finished, six more spellers were eliminated, getting tripped up on “dollop,” “leopard,” “flail,” “solely,” “banishment,” and “penalty.”
In round six, two more contestants were eliminated after misspelling “garret” and “pennant,” leaving six remaining spellers in the competition. By the end of round seven, the incorrect spelling of “recognition,” “writhing,” “fulcrum,” and “alabaster” left only two spellers to vie for the championship.
Announcer Domeier then took the podium again to explain how the competition would proceed, as the rules change when only two spellers remain. When a contestant spells a word incorrectly, the other contestant is required to then correctly spell two words in order to claim victory.
After a few more rounds, a word was finally misspelled one of the two contestants. The culprit—“culprit.” A teary Adalyn took her seat, to the dismay of her very enthusiastic classmates. Two correctly spelled words later, Anton became NRHEG’s two-time Spelling Bee champion.
“I’ve never had a fifth grader finish this high in my years of doing the Spelling Bee,” said announcer Domeier, who also noted that he would be needing a replacement announcer for the varsity girls’ basketball game on Feb. 19, as he will be attending the regional spelling competition that night in Mankato.
Classmates surrounded Adalyn in a group bear hug after the event finished. Anton, who will go on to represent NRHEG in the regional competition, said the victory, “doesn’t feel that different” from the previous year’s as he humbly accepted congratulations. Anton is the son of Mark and Michelle Domeier of Ellendale.