ROCK SPRINGS – Five local school districts participated in the Sweetwater County Spelling Bee, hosted at Western Wyoming Community College on Feb. 21. Lincoln Middle School earned the competition’s traveling trophy this year on the strength of student Victoria Allen’s first-place finish in the contest, which featured both written and oral components.
Allen was awarded a Western Wyoming Community College tuition scholarship, a trophy, a cash prize, and a gift card. Other top finishers included: in second place, Racheal Pinkham, of Rock Springs Junior High School, who was awarded a trophy, a cash prize, and gift card; in third place, Emma Hind, of Rock Springs Junior High School, who was awarded a trophy, cash prize, and gift card; and the top 6th-grade speller, Max Raovanic, of Monroe Intermediate School, who was awarded a trophy and a gift card.
First-place finisher Victoria Allen and second-place finisher Racheal Pinkham will represent Sweetwater County at the Wyoming State Spelling Bee, which will be held at Western on Saturday, March 8. They may also be eligible for the national competition in Washington, D.C. later in 2014.
Other students participating in the Feb. 21 Spelling Bee included:
From Eastside Elementary School – Stevie Isbelle; Faith Roby; Julian Delgadillo-Lovato; Arla Kinikini; McKenzie Bonner; and Kamari Lemons.
From Farson-Eden Middle School – Tavianne Kemp.
From Lincoln Middle School – Ashley Jensen; Hailey Westenskow; Hailey Finstad; Matthew Pickering; Jon Weed; Sheridan Sherwin; Claire Maclellan; Hunter Thomas; Abbie Grubb; Camry Peterson; and Logan Johnson.
Monroe Intermediate School – Jordan Lords; Richard Resler Mutter; Alex Shafe; Will Allen; and Garret Lester.
Rock Springs junior High School – Chester Townsend; Holly Hind; Raymond Huang; Felicia Chambers; and Kim Thompson.
The Sweetwater County Spelling Bee was directed by Lora Meredith, WWCC Instructor of English, and Heather Pristash, WWCC Assistant Professor of English, and coordinated by Adrienne Baughman, WWCC Faculty Office Assistant. Dr. Douglas N. Bunn, Humanities Division Chair/Associate Professor of Economics & Business, officially welcomed participants.
Western would like to thank the event judges and other volunteers for their contributions to this year’s spelling bee: Traci Ciepiela, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Sociology (head judge); Jennifer Allen, Assistant Professor of Computer Science/OIS; Cecily Brunelli, Associate Professor of English Composition; and Christine Garbett, Instructor of English Composition.
Also assisting were Chris Kennedy, WWCC Associate Professor of Communication, who served as pronouncer for the event; and Jerry Thomas, WWCC Instructor of Mathematics, who acted as Pronouncer’s Judge. Competition assistants included: Doug Bunn, WWCC Associate Professor of Business; Dee Forrest, WWCC Associate Professor of Biological Sciences; Aaron Jensen, WWCC Assistant Professor of Education; Natalie Jorgensen, WWCC Faculty & Adjuncts Office Assistant; Christine Maddy, WWCC Associate Professor of Education; Chris Propst, WWCC Associate Professor of English & ESL; and Ann Rudoff, WWCC Assistant Professor of Communications. Hannah Winward, WWCC Work Study Student, provided clerical and technical support for the event.
Sweetwater BOCES provided financial assistance for the spelling competition and the Rocket–Miner provided cash awards. Western Wyoming Community College provided the college scholarship and gift cards and served as host for the event. Kyle Rossetti, WWCC Publications Specialist, provided publications design assistance, and the WWCC Print Shop printed the event publications.
