PUHI — “Longevity” was the key to success for Alyssa Medd, Thursday night. Medd, a seventh grade student at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, successfully spelled the word to take the lead in the sixth sudden death round at the Kaua‘i
PUHI — “Longevity” was the key to success for Alyssa Medd, Thursday night.
Medd, a seventh grade student at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, successfully spelled the word to take the lead in the sixth sudden death round at the Kaua‘i Complex Area District Spelling Bee.
After Charlie Kahepuu of Waimea Canyon School misspelled “squaller,” Medd capped the win with the correct spelling of “jargon.”
With that success, Medd was declared the winner of the island’s spelling bee by Kaua‘i Complex Area Superintendant William Arakaki who witnessed the keen competition from a front-row vantage point at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School cafeteria that was filled with supporters, parents and relatives.
Kahepuu, a seventh grader, was declared the bee’s runner-up, outlasting the field of four boys in the 13-contestant arena.
Both Medd and Kahepuu will advance to the state spelling bee on O‘ahu scheduled for March 15.
Television viewers can see that event live from the Paliku Theatre at the Windward Community College on OC16, or online at www.oc16.tv.
The keen competition, which saw casualties in each round but the second round, will be available for Kaua‘i viewers on the JK Show that will air from 5 to 6:30 a.m., Sunday, and rerun from 7 to 8:30 p.m. That time slot comes right on the heels of the completion of the National Football League’s Super Bowl.
There will be additional showings on Wednesday and Friday with the same air times.
Words such as “stucco,” “prairie” and “electoral” claimed victims in the opening round, including the first speller who whizzed through the practice round.
But contestants settled down and the second round progressed with no casualties; Medd successfully opening with “mahimahi.”
A mis-pronounciation in the third round could not get the better of Noah Kaulalaau, Kahepuu’s sixth grade counterpart from Waimea Canyon Middle School, who successfully spelled “nosiest.” But “nasal” claimed another participant and Janica Pascua, a sixth grader from St. Theresa, closed with “daily.”
Medd’s “nightingale” opened the fourth round in which “igneous” claimed another speller before Pascua closed with “manicure.”
“Percolate,” “anchovy” and “semolina” set the stage for the start of sudden death as Medd successfully spelled “character” and Kahepuu went to a “lu‘au,” the only two remaining contestants remaining on the stage.
Medd opened with a successful “adjoining,” but stumbled on “preempted” to give Kahepuu second life.
That proved “disastrous” to Medd who got another chance when Kahepuu misspelled his word.
But Medd stumbled on “martyr” and Kahepuu took the lead with “heathen” — only to stumble on “gizzard” to keep the sudden death competition going.
With both contestants misspelling in the next sudden death round, Medd drew “longevity,” a word that drew an audible gasp from the audience after she slowly and meticulously worked that word.
“I was nervous,” Medd said after the competition. “’Longevity’ was the word I had trouble with, but I just kept going.”
Medd comes from a line of winners as her mother Kim, congratulating Alyssa after the harrowing match, admitted that she was the school spelling champion when she was in the fifth grade.
Contestants for the Kaua‘i District Spelling Bee included Alexandra Lontoc (CKMS), Medd, Kaulalaau, Kahepuu, Harmony Graziano (KapMS), Erin McGarry (KapMS), Malia Hickey (Kilauea), Sophia Terrazas (Kilauea), Ryan Feather (IS), Macus Punua (IS), Pascua, Paige Connelly (St. Theresa) and Ke‘ala Lopez (Kawaikini New Century PC).
Alternates for the Thursday night bee included Leinamoani Gutierrez-Kelley (Kawaikini), Leighton Villanueva (CKMS), Issaiah Dela Cruz Muratake (Waimea Canyon MS), Casey Nakamura (KapMS), Malia Wall (Kilauea), Bronson Griep (IS), Cole Moore (St. Theresa) and Kawailehua Hamberg (Kawaikini).
Jan Tenbruggencate served as the pronouncer with Maureen Fodale, Malyn Miyashiro and April Shigemoto serving as judges.
