Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Prescott Spelling Bee Champs Named

The Nevada County Spelling Bee for grades 3-8 was sponsored by Prescott Public Schools this year with Phillip Holthoff and Shelia Jennings sponsoring this event.

There are grade level preliminary competition held with up to four representatives from each grade level in all three of Nevada County's schools. A first, second and third place winner was chosen from each grade, then the winners competed for one overall winner to represent Nevada County.

Emmet School had the overall winner this year with their seventh grader, Holly Otwell. She will go on to state competition in a few weeks.

The other winners by grades are:

Third grade: first place, Kayla Ammons; second place, Brody St. Clair; and third place, Junior Hart.

Fourth grade: first place, Miyako Franklin; second place, Jasmine Van Hook; and third place, Kathryn Lavender.

Fifth grade: first place, Ryan Roberson; second place, Denesha Smith; and third place, Kermisha Glasgow.

Sixth grade: first place, Kristi Taylor; second place, Madeline Taylor; and third grade, Coy Tucker.

Seventh grade: first place, Ali Biddle; second grade, Cristi Lambert; and third place, Holly Otwell.

Eighth grade: first place, Jonathan Wish; second place, Jenifer Harding; and third place, Heather Harris.

The first place winners received a trophy, the second place winners received a medal and the third place winners received a ribbon.

Otwell, the overall winner, received a large trophy.

The awards and trophies were provided by the Nevada County Branch Bank of Delight. Gary Brown from the bank presented the awards to the winning students.

Refreshments were provided by the parents of contestants from Prescott.

The following people volunteered their time to do the pronouncing and judging in all the rooms: Judy Barfield, Rebecca Holly, Vicky Dearinger, Martha Wilber, Brenda Smith, Kelly Jones, Tammy Higginbotham, Karen Taylor, Phillip McAdams, Ron Jennings, Vickie Wish, Ricky McClure, Loretta Baker and Anna Atkins.

High school students helping were Mistie Holly, Britnie McCauley, Carlos Franklin, Russell Niemyer, April Campbell, Jessica Hunt, Ada Nixon and Kristen Teague. They guided the students to the various rooms used and helped monitor the games.