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Spelling bee champ
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Poland Middle School's spellers all showed off their skills during the spelling bee. Mark Stein (left), Brendan Gage, Mariah Mrotchak, Theodora Constantine, Elise Eckman, Bobby Murcko, and Anthony Neville (right) all fought hard before the first place went to Gage.
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Spelling bee winner Brendan Gage snatched the first-place Poland Middle School prize by spelling the word clemency, and then the word mitigate to win.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Runner-up speller Mark Stein headed into his final round during the Poland Middle School spelling bee on Jan. 14 by spelling nefarious.
By SARAH FOOR
“M-I-T-I-G-A-T-E.”
On Jan. 14, in a hushed library with parents and supporters nearby, Poland Middle School’s Brendan Gage spelled this word correctly to become the school’s champion speller.
The competition was a small gathering, with only seven of the school’s best spellers chosen to compete in the bee. The bee’s selection included difficult words like miscellaneous, clemency, malicious and sophomore.
After a few short rounds, the competition narrowed to Gage and Mark Stein. After Stein missed the word ‘nefarious,’ Gage spelled it correctly and then clinched the title with ‘mitigate.’
Although there could only be one winner, teacher Karen Russo reminded Gage and Stein, “You will both get spelling books to practice for the regional spelling bee, and I suggest you practice together so that you’re both prepared.”
“In a world where spell check rules, I’m glad that this is still a program, and that Brenden is good at it,” said dad Stephen Gage.
Chatting with Gage’s parents and preparing them for the road ahead, Russo agreed.
“Spelling is definitely a gift, but there is some skill, too. If you really want to be prepared, I suggest starting at the beginning of the dictionary and going from there.”
Gage will represent Poland Middle School in The Vindicator’s regional spelling bee March 19 at YSU’s Kilcawley Center.
After the bee, Gage received a congratulatory embrace from his parents, who came to watch the competition.