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Last updated on Thursday, March 2, 2017
(PAOLI) - Cameron Apple took top honors in the Orange County Publishing Co.’s Great Spelling Bee Saturday, and the Throop Elementary School fifth-grader will now go on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. at the end of May.
Finishing in second place was Orleans seventh-grader Samuel Carr, and third place went to Spring Valley sixth-grader Lola Pantoja.
In all, 22 students from across Orange County did battle on the stage at the Ruth Farlow Uyesugi Auditorium at Paoli Junior-Senior High School, and it took six competition rounds and one final championship round for Apple to come out on top. In round six, Carr slipped on "vibrato" after Apple had successfully spelled "imperative." Then Apple sealed his status by correctly tackling "benefactor."
Now, Apple has almost three months to prepare for his appearance as one of approximately 300 contestants in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. He's following in the footsteps of the 2015 Orange County Champion, Orleans eighth-grader Matthew Ross, and the 2016 champion, Orleans seventh-grader Dylan Reid.
Orange County Publishing Co. Managing Editor Miles Flynn once again thanked the generous funding partners in the community who are making it possible for the local contest to enroll with the National Spelling Bee and for Apple and one parent or guardian to make the trip. On board this year are the Orange County Community Foundation, Orange County REMC Operation Round Up, Old National Bank, Springs Valley Bank & Trust Co., Indiana Natural Gas and Paoli Wal-Mart.
Flynn was the reader for the event, and serving as judges were Sarann Weeks of Paoli, Robert Henderson of Orleans and Todd Marshall of Springs Valley.
In addition to the trip, Apple will receive access to Britannica Online Premium and Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award with a 2017 United States Mint proof set and a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Carr will receive Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11 Edition, and a $25 Amazon gift card.
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