GHS team hopes to spell success at state contest after winning area Spell Bowl event

Greencastle High School Spell Bowl team members are (front, from left) Erin McConkey, Alice Moore, Mary Pearl Ivy, Annalysse Mason, Katie Steele-Kannowski, Beth Ann Hansen, Rebecca Moore and academic coach Nicole Kempf. In back (from left) are Erik Norlin, Matthew White, Hannah Gellman, Dylan Bodnarik, Taylor Secrest and Nicolette Peters.

The Greencastle High School Spell Bowl team captured first place at area competition at Danville High School on Oct. 17, recording the highest score in its class among all state competitors.

The GHS team recorded a 68 (out of 90), posting the highest score ever by a Greencastle High School Spell Bowl team to win the Class 3 competition.

GHS had the highest score of all classes participating at the Danville area competition -- even defeating both Pike High School and reigning state champion Cascade.

Cascade was second in Class 3 at Danville with 64 points.

Among other Putnam County schools, North Putnam posted a 38, while Cloverdale had 17. South Putnam did not compete.

Among individuals, GHS senior Alice Moore registered a perfect score, while sophomore

while sophomore Hannah Gellman had a near-perfect score.

Greencastle will be competing Nov. 12 for the Class 3 Spell Bowl state championship at Purdue University.

The team is coached by GHS Latin teacher and academic coach Nicole Kempf.

"I'm a very lucky coach to have such a fun, smart, hard-working team," Kempf told the Banner Graphic. "I'm extremely proud and thrilled the team finally overcame the Cascade-is-unbeatable mental block. I hope they realize that they can win it all if they work hard between now and Nov. 12."

Other Class 3 teams competing with Greencastle in the state round are Cascade, Benton Central, North Posey, Gary Andrean, Garrett and South Spencer high schools.

Other area competition class winners from across the state were: Class 1 (large schools), Penn, 89 points; Class 2, Plymouth and John Glenn (Walkerton), 71 points; and Class 4, Northeast Dubois, 71.

In addition to Moore and Gellman, GHS Spell Bowl team members are Dylan Bodnarik, Beth Ann Hansen, Mary Pearl Ivy, Erin McConkey, Annalysse Mason, Rebecca Moore, Erik Norlin, Nicolette Peters, Taylor Secrest, Katie Steele-Kannowski and Matthew White.

Alternates are Alex Asbell, Ethan Gill, Avery Robinson and Josie Wood.