MOUNT VERNON – Xzyaeren Gabriel “Gab” Cabarcas, Vincent Jiang and Jace Dewitt will represent Mount Vernon Middle School in next month’s Knox County Spelling Bee.
The trio won their recent in-school, grade-level bees.
Cabarcas prevailed as the sixth-grade winner by correctly spelling “aquamarine” in the 20th round. Alex Busen was runner-up in a field of 11 spellers.
Jiang correctly spelled “crannies” to win the seventh-grade title. Kellen Patrick was runner-up in competition that featured 12 spellers and lasted 17 rounds.
Dewitt earned the eighth-grade championship by correctly spelling “stylistic” after 12 rounds that included a dozen spellers. Piper Straight was runner-up.
The three winners will advance to compete against in-school bee winners from Centerburg, Danville, East Knox and Fredericktown in the county bee at 7 p.m. Jan. 15 in the Mount Vernon High School theater. The Knox County commissioners will serve as judges.
The bee is facilitated by the Knox County Educational Service Center (ESC) with financial support from the Mount Vernon Rotary Club.
Taylor Gingery, the ESC’s gifted and talented coordinator, helps to arrange the in-school bees and will be the pronouncer at the county bee.