Nick Muday, an eighth grade student at Delton Kellogg Middle School, won the Barry ISD Regional Spelling Bee held February 15, 2022 at Barry County Christian School, and qualified for the Greater Grand Rapids Spelling Bee to be held March 22 at the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids.
Nick will compete against students from all over West Michigan for the honor of spelling at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May in Washington, D.C.
Muday bested 8 other competitors from Delton Kellogg Middle, Barry County Christian, and St. Rose of Lima Schools, spelling “motley” and “Darwinism” to win the night. The runner-up was Maggie Martin, also an eighth grader from Delton Kellogg Middle School. Martin went on in an extraordinary 28-round battle for second place to beat St. Rose fifth grader Eleanor Clark by correctly spelling “dicey” and “trivia.”
How would you have done? Other words that students misspelled included: fractious, wretched, faltered, assassinate, decimal, herbalist, coronation, phenomenal, covenant, mousse, kimchi, conurbation, bivouac, and whelp.
Rich Franklin, Barry ISD superintendent, said that the evening was a great success and a chance for the students involved to show off a little of their academic prowess. "Each student up on that stage is supported by parents, grandparents, teachers, and others in the audience who are so proud that they made it this far, and so glad they're not up here spelling, themselves!" Franklin said.
Other competitors were Emma Wilkinson and Loree Westfall from Barry County Christian School; Jillian Brandli, DJ Johnson, and Isabella Doubledee from Delton Kellogg Middle School; and Alyssa MacLeod from Saint Rose of Lima School.
Qualifying but not competing were Robbie Bever, Trevin Ewing, and Madison Gruber, all of Delton Kellogg Middle School.
Mrs. Mary Collier was the pronouncer for the bee once again this year. Judges were Mrs. Suzanne Shorey, Dr. Bob Becker, and Mrs. Kathy Forsyth. Mrs. Deb Hatfield and Mrs. Cloe Oliver were the registrars.
