Greencastle Spell Bowl team secures berth in state finals

Friday, October 19, 2012
Coached by teacher Nicole Kempf (standing left), the Greencastle High School Spell Bowl team is composed of members (not pictured in order) Beth Ann Hansen, Hannah Gellman, Dylan Bodnarick, Avery Robinson, Lily Spencer, Katie Steele-Kannowski, Annalysse Mason, Taylor Secrest, Matthew White, Rebecca Moore and Zach Wilkerson.

Finishing second in recent area competition and qualifying third in the state overall, the Greencastle High School Spell Bowl team has earned a berth in the finals of next month's 28th annual Indiana Academic Spell Bowl.

Posting a score of 68, Greencastle finished second to Cascade and its 80-point effort at the area competition on Oct. 15.

Greencastle's Spell Bowl area score was the third best posted statewide in Class 3, qualifying as a state finalist behind only Cascade and North Posey with its 75 points.

Joining Greencastle, Cascade and North Posey in the Class 3 finals will be Forest Park (56 points), Winamac (56), Benton Central (55), Garrett (49) and Northwestern of Kokomo (49).

More than 2,300 high school students from around the state have been preparing for the Indiana Academic Spell Bowl competition, which concludes with the state finals scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 10 at Purdue University.

Coached by Greencastle High School teacher Nicole Kempf, the GHS Spell Bowl team is includes members Dylan Bodnarick, Hannah Gellman, Beth Ann Hansen, Annalysse Mason, Rebecca Moore, Avery Robinson, Taylor Secrest, Lily Spencer, Katie Steele-Kannowski, Matthew White and Zach Wilkerson.

North Putnam posted a 39-point area competition score, while Cloverdale produced a 20-point effort. Neither will advance to state competition.

Senior division teams of 10 students compete in a team concept with no individual winners. Each round consists of one team member writing the correct spelling of nine words while competing against one team member from each other school.

Each word is graded immediately and an individual scoring chart maintains a running team score as the competition progresses. While students are waiting to compete, they sit in a cheer block to encourage their teammates.

The competition is administered by the Indiana Association of School Principals, Department of Student Programs and sponsored by Purdue University.

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