MOUNT VERNON – A seventh-grade saxophone player from Centerburg won the 65th annual Knox County Spelling Bee Wednesday evening.
Kiley Frye emerged as the champion by correctly spelling “infrastructure” at the conclusion of the 24th round.
Callie May, an East Knox seventh-grader, was runner-up.
Eighteen students in grades 5 through 8 began the competition on the Mount Vernon High School theater stage. They had qualified by winning grade-level bees at Centerburg, Danville, East Knox, Fredericktown and Mount Vernon.
By the 16th round the field had dwindled to Frye, May and Fredericktown eighth-grader Caleb Cobb. Cobb bowed out on the next round when he misspelled “delinquent.”
Frye and May went toe-to-toe for six more rounds. Frye’s correct spellings included “immunizations,” “inimitable” and “effectual.” May kept pace by correctly spelling words that included “technicalities,” “euphoria” and “conspiratorial.”
Frye began the 24th round by correctly spelling “prosecutor.” May missed on “noncommittal.” That opened the door for Frye to spell the championship word, “infrastructure.”
Frye’s win qualifies her to take the online qualifying test for the Ohio Region Two Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee competition in March. Regional winners from all states will move on to the national bee in Washington, D.C., in May.
While describing herself as “a pretty good speller,” Frye acknowledged during a brief post-bee interview that “I did a lot to prepare.” Asked about her favorite classes at Centerburg, she said “math and band.” A saxophone player, she aspires to a career as a musician.
May’s runner-up finish marked a second consecutive outstanding performance in the county bee. Last year she finished third after lasting into the 27th round.
Knox County Commissioners Bill Pursel, Drenda Keesee and Barry Lester served as judges Wednesday evening. Taylor Gingery, gifted consultant at the Knox Educational Service Center (ESC), was the pronouncer.
The Knox ESC facilitates the county bee, as well as the in-school bees. Gingery coordinates each one.
Financial support from the Mount Vernon Rotary Club Foundation paid for T-shirts and gift cards for Paragraphs Bookstore (discounted by Paragraphs) for Wednesday’s participants, as well as trophies and Walmart gift cards for Frye and May. Rotary also paid the bulk of the cost of Scripps Howard registration fees required for the bees at all district schools.
“Annual support of the county spelling bee has been 100 percent satisfying for us,” said Mount Vernon Rotary President Zach Green.
“’Service Above Self’ is more than just Rotary’s motto. It’s an important part of our vision to continue to support our youth by being involved and providing educational opportunities,” said Green, the Knox Public Health commissioner. “Participation in extracurricular activities, whether sports, clubs or spelling bees gives young people confidence.”
Rotary also provides grant scholarships for higher education to local students.
Others who qualified for the county bee included:
Centerburg: Remy Bishop and Willow Barnard. Dallas Boggs was unable to attend.
East Knox: Madelyn Dale, Jace Daugherty and Kayli Stamper.
Mount Vernon: Xzyaeren Gabriel Cabarcas, Vincent Jiang and Jace Dewitt.
Danville: Gracelyn Mazzari, Vivian Burger, Kaley Smith and Ana Avila.
Fredericktown: Tanner Philpott, Jace Smith and Carsyn Adkins.