Staff Writer
HODGDON — How do you spell winner?
Just ask Kent Smith; he knows. The Presque Isle Middle School student rose to the top after eight rounds of competition Monday night in the Aroostook County Spelling Bee.
When interviewed after the match, Smith was matter-of-fact about his win, saying that he practiced for the competition and felt prepared going into it.
This was his second year competing at the county level; he also earned the chance to compete at last year’s county bee in Houlton. This year, he said, he felt confident about the words he’d been asked. Smith, an eighth grader at the Presque Isle school, is the son of Maggie Smith and Charles Smith.
Following close behind Smith was runner-up Erik Ryan, a grade 8 student from Mill Pond School in Hodgdon. The son of Dana and Lynn Ryan of Ludlow, Ryan showed his skill by making it through successive rounds with words like influenza, dyslexia and providence.
Receiving the third place certificate was Corey Paradis of Wisdom Middle School in Saint Agatha. Paradis navigated seven rounds of spelling, conquering words like concerto, enthusiasm and autopsy.
But it was the correct spelling of amnesia that gave Kent Smith his top title. Smith will now advance to the state bee on Saturday, March 15. It’s scheduled to start at 2 p.m. at Eastern Maine Community College, 354 Hogan Road, Bangor.
In addition to the winners, participating students in this year’s County bee included: Rebecca Libby of Ashland Middle School, Kjetil Rossignol of Caribou Middle School, Stephanie Hammond of Easton Junior High School, Caleb Lincoln of Greater Houlton Christian Academy, Jordan Russell of Houlton Junior High School, Mariah Hebert of Madawaska Middle School, Cassidy Spencer of St. Francis Elementary School, John Parent of Van Buren District School and Dylan Theriault of Woodland Consolidated School.
