The Colquitt County Association of Educators (CCAE) held the annual Spelling Bee for Colquitt County School District students on Tuesday, February 4, at Southern Regional Technical College. School-level winners from each elementary school, G.E.A.R., Willie J. Williams Middle School and C.A. Gray Junior High participated in the Bee.
After thirteen rounds, three of them being two-word spell-off rounds, Jace Brown was declared the Colquitt County School District Spelling Bee Winner. Jace, a 5th grader at G.E.A.R., spelled “mourners” and then “tsunami” correctly to secure the title of Spelling Bee Winner. Kavien Lampkin, a 5th grader from Sunset Elementary, was runner-up this year.
The judges for the Bee were Jeff Horne, Lisa Lawson, and Ian Smith, with Brenda Arnold as the Presiding Official and Spelling Bee Coordinator. Other officials who assisted included Lisa McLemore, Miley Rigsby, and Scott Turner. Dakota Cone was the caller/pronouncer for the Bee.
School Winners
Makenzie Pina*, Cox Elementary (school winner two consecutive years)
Reyna Ramos, Doerun Elementary
Lexe Casteel, Funston Elementary
Jace Brown, G.E.A.R. Center
Henry Webb, C.A. Gray Junior High
Tram-Anh Nguyen, Hamilton Elementary
Jordan Smith, Norman Park Elementary
Natalia Hernandez, J.M. Odom Elementary
Alexander Carrillo, Okapilco Elementary
Alexis McNeil, Stringfellow Elementary
Kavien Lampkin, Sunset Elementary (school runner up previous year)
Trace Hiers, Willie J. Williams Middle
Maggie Clifton, R.B. Wright Elementary
School Alternates
Troy Jones, Cox Elementary
Xylah Sims, Doerun Elementary
Alan Cardenas, Funston Elementary
Callie Jones, G.E.A.R.
Layne Balland, C.A. Gray Junior High
Kayla Nguyen, Hamilton Elementary
Franky Sarabia Cabrera, Norman Park Elementary
Sara Garcia, J.M. Odom Elementary
William Thomas III, Okapilco Elementary
Carlie Haynes, Stringfellow Elementary
Zaila Beltran, Sunset Elementary
Jesus Molina, Willie J. Williams Middle
John Michael Horne, R.B. Wright Elementary
Special thanks to CBS44 for covering the Spelling Bee. For their news coverage of the event, please click here.