CHARLOTTE — In the first-ever all schools spelling bee, 13 of the top spellers from across the Diocese of Charlotte took the stage Thursday morning at the MACS Fine Arts Center, competing for the coveted top prize of being named Bee Champion.
This year the spelling bee was opened to all 20 schools in the diocese, widening the competition beyond the previous nine Charlotte-area schools.
Students from 13 schools took part in the final competition including: Holy Trinity, St. Patrick, St. Leo the Great, St. Gabriel, St. Ann, St. Michael, Our Lady of Mercy, Our Lady of Grace, St. Pius X, Sacred Heart, Our Lady of the Assumption, St. Matthew and St. Mark.
As the judges called out new words, the competition got tense, yet the remaining finalists spelled each word carefully and slowly, the bright lights and attention not daunting them.
After 20 rounds, fifth-grader Henry Galle from St. Ann emerged the winner with the championship word of "pragmatic", with seventh-grader Augustine McCann from St. Pius X and sixth-grader Lael Adefabi from Holy Trinity named runners-up.
— Spencer K.M. Brown. Photos by Troy Hull.
