C-A students among top county spelling bee finishers

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Carman-Ainsworth students are upholding a tradition of being champion spellers.

Alex Wickham, a fourth-grader at Randels Elementary School was the fourth-grade winner at the Genesee County Regional Spelling Bee.

Jodie Arnold, a junior at Carman-Ainsworth High School, won the 11th-grade bee.

Alex correctly spelled “rouge” to claim first place over Luke Wisniewski of Brendle Elementary in Grand Blanc, who finished second and Ryan Bendle of Moore Elementary in Mt. Morris, who finished third, according to a press release from the Genesee Intermediate School District.

A total of 28 students participated in the 4th grade spelling bee from 16 separate schools.

For Jodie, the winning word was “companion” to top second and third place finishers respectively, Hannah Thoms and Charlie Toal, both of Flushing High School.

Other grade level winners and winning words were:

GRADE 5:

1st-place, Alex Lechota, Holy Rosary Catholic School

2nd-place, Kalianna Munerlyn, Woodland Park Academy, Grand Blanc Township

3rd place, Nevaeh Bernard, Eisenhower Elementary in Flint

The winning word was “lavatory.”

GRADE 6:

1st, Sofia Maldonado, Lake Fenton Middle School

2nd, Kiere McGee, Doyle-Ryder Elementary Flint

3rd, Devon Cranick, Lakeville Middle School

The winning word was “bachelor.”

GRADE 7:

1st, t Shreya Rao, East Middle School, Grand Blanc

2nd, Eric Huang, West Middle School, Grand Blanc

3rd, Logan Gentry, Swartz Creek Middle School

“Buzzard” was the winning word.

GRADE 8:

1st, Joseph Stemczynski, Flushing Middle School

2nd, Sydney Brown, St. Paul Lutheran School, Flint Township

3rd, Cherish Dean, East Middle School, Grand Blanc

The winning word was “feign”

GRADE 9:

1st, Joseph Williams, Elisabeth Ann Johnson High School, Mt. Morris

2nd, Rachel Henneke, Flushing High School

3rd, LeighAnna Peck, Flushing High School

The final word spelled correctly was ‘germinate”

GRADE 10:

1st, Matt Karas, Flushing High School

2nd, Austin Hendrix, Bentley Senior High School, Burton

3rd, Dajinque Cannamore, International Academy of Flint

The final word spelled correctly was “petticoat.”

GRADE 12:

1st, Kayla Gerow, Bentley High School, Burton

2nd, Alyssa Krueger, Lake Fenton High School

3rd, Beth Rider, Elisabeth Ann Johnson High School, Mt. Morris

“Vernal” was the winning word.

First through third place winners in grades 5-8 and grades 9-12 also competed in the Glenowyn L. Jones Championship Spelling Bees, co-sponsored by Glenowyn L. Jones and the Genesee Intermediate School District.

Seventh-grader Eric Huang of Grand Blanc’s West Middle School was crowned the Grades 5-8 winner, after correctly spelling the word “phoenix.” This time around he bested Shreya Rao of Grand Blanc East Middle School who out-spelled him in the seventh-grade level bee. Eighth-grader Josh Stemczynski of Flushing Middle School finished third.

Eric gets the Glenowyn L. Jones Spelling Bee Trophy to be displayed at his school.

Matt Karas, a 10th grade student at Flushing High School, was crowned local champion of the grades 9-12 bee after correctly spelling the word “zeitgeber.” This is the second time Matt successfully placed first to receive the Glenowyn L. Jones Spelling Bee Trophy to be displayed at his school.

In past years, the champion also won an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.

“There currently is no sponsor for sending a winner to the national spelling bee,’‘ said Jerry Johnson, GISD Executive Director, Communications & Development.

Three years ago, that cost was $12,000, he said, adding that the GISD is open to discussion with partners interested in funding the trip.

Kayla Gerow of Bentley High School finished second and ninth-grader Joseph Williams at Elisabeth Ann Johnson High School in Mt. Morris finished third in the 9-12 championship bee.

All finalists received a Glenowyn L. Jones Championship Spelling Bee plaque to take home.