Spelling champ prepares for return to D.C.

By Harold Gwin

The two-time spelling champ says he’s more prepared this time around.

POLAND — John Umble has been to the “big show” before.

The 14-year-old Willow Creek Learning Center student won The Vindicator 2007 Regional Spelling Bee and went to Washington, D.C., to compete in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee that year.

He also won The Vindicator’s 2009 event in March and is going back to Washington, this time with some national experience under his belt. The competition begins May 26.

John said he feels differently about the national event this time.

“I’ve had a couple more years to try for it,” he said, adding that he knows what to expect.

“Now, I have to get down to business,” he said.

He pointed out that it seemed the kids who were at the national bee for the second time had a distinct advantage in terms of knowing what types of words they might expect to encounter.

“Hopefully, I’ll do better,” he said. He didn’t advance to the quarterfinals in 2007.

John has been spending 45 to 60 minutes a day for the past several weeks gearing up for the competition, much of it poring over word lists provided by Scripps that are available to all contenders.

Coupling that with daily violin and piano practice sessions and his schoolwork makes for a full day, leaving limited time for other interests such as hiking, fishing and just reading for pleasure. Camping and canoeing are also on his list of favorite activities.

He’s been reading since age 2, and his parents, James and Kathryn, have described him as an avid reader.

“It’s a lot of fun getting to the bee ... to meet new friends,” John said, noting that, although it’s billed as a national event, it has become international in flavor with a number of participants coming from other nations.

The Scripps list of 293 competitors includes competitors from China, South Korea, New Zealand, Canada and elsewhere.

Besides being in the bee, the most enjoyable part of the experience is getting to visit Washington, where there are so many interesting things to see, John said.

He would like to visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and revisit the National Zoo this trip.

There’s definitely a social side to the experience, James Umble said.

Scripps hosts a huge barbecue the day before competition begins.

“You had study groups all over the hotel,” James recalled, explaining that groups of kids would just get together to go over word lists.

“The atmosphere at the bee is so positive, and it’s electric,” added Kathryn Umble.

Scripps provides each contender with a commemorative book with the photos, names and interests of all participants, and the kids carry them around seeking autographs of everyone listed inside, she said.

One of the most interesting facets of the experience has been the people John has met, and that doesn’t apply only to those on the national scene, she said.

The family of Hannah Stang Gerdes, the 2008 Vindicator champion, has been especially supportive, she said.

John and Hannah have had a competitive friendship for several years.

They were the last two standing in 2007 when John went on to win that event, and they were the last two standing in 2008 when Hannah won in her last year of eligibility. Hannah competed in four Vindicator bees, and John has been in five.

James Umble said the greatest thrill for him is seeing his son getting recognition for doing a good job.

“It’s a big deal in our community,” he said, adding, “The whole town has been kind of celebrating with us.”

gwin@vindy.com

NATIONAL BEE

How it works

The Scripps National Spelling Bee will run May 26-28 in Washington, D.C. Here’s how it works:

May 26: All 293 spellers take the Round One test with a computer, spelling 50 words, 25 of which have been pre-selected as counting toward their preliminary scores. The spellers don’t know which of the 50 words they are.

May 27: All 293 spellers participate in Rounds Two and Three, getting a chance to spell one word each round. A correct answer is worth three points, with the second- and third-round scores added to the number of words spelled correctly in Round One. A perfect score would be 31. A cutoff number for advancement to the semifinals will be determined at the end of the third round.

May 28: Semifinalists compete from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with ESPN broadcasting the event live.

May 28: Finalists compete from 8 to 10 p.m., with ABC carrying the event live.

Source: Scripps National Spelling Bee