Chestnut Log Middle School eighth-grader Talib Anderson won the Douglas County School System District Spelling Bee held at the Alexander High School Performing Arts Center on January 17.
Anderson correctly spelled W-Y-O-M-I-N-G for the win.
Mason Creek Middle School sixth-grader Earlene Igbeare finished as runner-up. Fairplay Middle School’s Dheephaasakti Chandrasekaran finished third.
Afterward, with his first-place trophy in-hand, Anderson said he studied some for the spelling bee, but that he's just a naturally good speller.
Anderson advanced to the final round by spelling D-I-S-T-R-I-B-U-T-E. Igbeare, who finished third at the district spelling bee last year, advanced to the finals with W-I-D-O-W-E-R.
The two then went back-and-forth in the finals for seven tense minutes before Igbeare missed A-B-S-C-O-N-D and Anderson then correctly spelled G-L-A-C-I-E-R, followed by W-Y-O-M-I-N-G to claim the title.
Anderson and Igbeare faced off in the finals after outlasting the other school-level spelling bee winners from the district’s elementary and middle schools through 12 rounds of intense competition.
Anderson and Igbeare will now move on to compete in the regional spelling bee.