2022 McKenzie County Spelling Bee Results

After a year hiatus, due to COVD-19, McKenzie County resumed it's annual spelling bee under the direction of Carol Kieson, McKenzie County Supt. of Schools. The competition was held Wednesday, Feb.23 at Alexander Public School, hosted by Superintendent Leslie Bieber and her staff. County schools that participated were Johnson Corners Christian Academy, Mandaree Public School, Alexander Public School, East Fairview Elementary School, Badlands Elementary, Fox Hills Elementary, and Watford City Middle School. The 2022 State Spelling Bee will be held in Bismarck, March 21 at the Bismarck Event Center. The North Dakota Masonic Foundation, The North Dakota Association of County Superintendents, and North Dakota Newspaper Association co-sponsor the State Spelling Bee. The State Bee is affiliated with the National Spelling Bee which will be held in Washington, DC, the week of May 30. The co-sponsors of the spelling bee will send the state champion speller to the national contest.

Each county is allowed two entries in the state competition. All contestants compete in a written round of 50 words and a multiple choice vocabulary section from which the finalists are chosen. The finalists compete on an equal basis in an oral spelldown with first, second and third place winners being chosen.

Counties adopt plans for their own competitions. McKenzie County's Grades 1-5 take a written test of 25 words. Grades 6-8 follow the national rules and are given a test of 50 written words. The top 3 spellers from the 6th, 7th and 8th grades compete in the oral spelldown.

The first three places in each grade are as follows:

2022 Spelling Bee Winners

1st Grade

1. Hattie Helminen, Alexander

2. (4 way tie) Cora Hackley, Alexander; Johnny Esparza, Fox Hills; Jared Alderin, Badlands; Avery Short, Badlands

3. Harper Fitzpatrick, Fox Hills

2nd Grade

1. (3 way tie) Kinsle Hayes, Badlands; Sam Gonzalez, Badlands; Branson Harder, Alexander

2. Shane Tapia, Badlands

3. (tie) Maggie Swenson, JCCA; Conner Baxter, Fox Hills; Ian Villarreal, Fox Hills

3rd Grade

1. Lee Avellaneda, Badlands

2. (tie) Isabel Foster, JCCA; Rebekah Randall, JCCA

3. Brocktyn Devlin, Badlands

4th Grade

1. Karson Kendrick, Fox Hills

2. Jacob Reeves, Badlands

3. Haas Lundeen, Alexander

5th Grade

1. Jameson Cleviger, Fox Hills

2. (tie) London Devlin, Badlands; Enrique Villar Aybar, Badlands

3. Addy Foster, JCCA

6th Grade

1. (3 way tie)Macie Lass, Annabelle Bohn, Jasper James; Watford City Middle School

7th Grade

1. Kay Richardson, Watford City Middle School

2. Andrew Walters, Watford City Middle School

3. Vivian Lundeen, Alexander

8th Grade

1. Oliver Slade, East Fairview

2. Skippy McRae, Watford City Middle School

3. Kahlan Alyadumi, Watford City Middle School

The top three spellers in grades 6, 7, & 8 advance to the oral finals. Those nine participants draw for position in the oral spell down. Each speller then spells five words in each round. The top two spellers will advance to the state competition, with 3rd place being the alternate.

After three rounds of oral finals, the winners were– 1st Kay Richardson, 2nd Kahlen Alyadumi, 3rd (tie) Skippy McRae & Oliver Slade.