Countywide Spelling Bee Final Results

For Immediate Release – March 8, 2015

Contact: Barry Brown / Communications and Public Relations Officer
Direct: (831) 784-4245   Alternate: (831) 755-0301

Sixth Grade Student Wins Spelling Bee, Will Represent Monterey County in Washington D.C.

Salinas, CA – After 13 rounds and 169 words, Monterey County has a new spelling champ.  Nina Harmer, 6th grade, All Saints’ Day School, outspelled 48 other students from schools throughout Monterey County to win the Countywide Spelling Bee today at the Western Stage Theatre at Hartnell College. Nina’s winning word was amphibious.

As champion, Harmer will represent Monterey County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C. area May 24-30, 2015. Airfare, hotel and expenses for Nina and a parent are sponsored by our community partners. Other prizes included the Merriam Webster Third New International Dictionary, Savings Bond, gift cards, and champion trophy. Nina has also been invited to serve as Grand Marshal for the Rodeo’s Kiddie Kapers Parade.

“All of the spellers have worked so hard,” said Dr. Nancy Kotowski, Monterey County Superintendent of Schools. “Their work and dedication has given them the gift of a wide and rich vocabulary, which is important in our 21st Century global society.”

Here is the order of finishers”

First Place:
Nina Harmer, All Saints’ Day School, 6th grade
Nina correctly spelled the following words:  cinnamon, dross, refugee, Olympian, homburg, mahatma, duenna, bureaucracy, allegro, marzipan, mayonnaise, and altruism.
Winning word:  amphibious

Second Place:
Anthony Santa Ana, Laurel Wood Elementary School, 6th grade
Anthony correctly spelled the following words:  laudable, adobe, hawthorn, vogue, benevolent, incriminate, perfidy, scampi, kohlrabi, demotic, and eureka.

Third Place:
Andrew Wang, Carmel Middle School, 6th grade
Andrew correctly spelled the following words:  El Nino, knapsack, innate, sequin, rhinoceros, babushka, mariachi, camouflage, and metaphor.

Fourth Place:
Natalie Gibbs, San Benancio Middle School, 6th grade

Fifth Place:
Jesus Trujillo, Chualar School, 8th grade
Alexander Von Forell, Washington Middle School, 8th grade

Seventh Place:
Fernando Corona, Alisal Community School, 6th grade
Ryland Hinderscheid, Chalone Peaks Middle School, 6th grade
Gabriel Perez, Lagunita Elementary School, 7th grade
Kaya Von Berg, York School, 8th grade

Twelfth Place:
Francheska Cabasag, Cesar Chavez Elementary School, 6th grade
Max Cimoli, Lincoln School, 6th grade
Jalen Holder, Seaside Middle School, 8th grade
Syaal Sharifzad, Walter Colton Middle School, 6th grade
Brandon Shioya, Buena Vista Middle School, 7th grade

Seventeenth Place:
Mikaela Arista, Prunedale Elementary School, 6th grade
Esmeralda Macias, Virginia Rocca Barton Elementary School, 6th grade
Lily Ramirez, University Park School, 6th grade

Twentieth Place:
Eden Bejarano, San Lucas School, 7th grade
Kayla Brown, El Sausal Middle School, 7th grade
Lailah Leetch, Los Arboles Middle School, 6th grade
Rose Meri, Gavilan View Middle School, 6th grade
Jesus Mesa, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, 6th grade
VJ Vanderlipe, Harden Middle School, 7th grade

Twenty-sixth Place:
Genesis Castillo, Vista Verde Middle School, 7th grade
Joe Chavez, North Monterey County Middle School, 8th grade
Naylani Damiani-Williams, Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula, 7th grade
Pilar Farr, Mission Park Elementary School, 6th grade
Luke Gonzales, Monterey Park Elementary School, 6th grade
Fabian Hernandez, Creekside Elementary School, 6th grade
Yulika Martinez, Bardin Elementary School, 6th grade
Bryce McEwen, San Antonio Elementary School, 7th grade
Kathlene Olivas, Natividad Elementary School, 6th grade
Joseph Piini, Palma School, 7th grade
Jocelyn Placencia, Henry Kammann Elementary School, 6th grade
Alex Velasquez, La Paz Middle School, 7th grade

Thirty-eighth Place:
Angel Cano, Dr. Oscar Loya Elementary School, 6th grade
Arnold Cruz, Boronda Meadows Elementary School, 6th grade
Emma Leamey, Santa Catalina School, 8th grade
Alberto Lopez, Sherwood Elementary School, 6th grade
Albert Matei, Junipero Serra School, 7th grade
Stephanie Mayo, Roosevelt Elementary School, 6th grade
Andrea Morales, Los Padres Elementary School, 6th grade
Dakota Mornhinweg, Stevenson School, 7th grade
Kiana Quintero, Tibercio Vasquez School, 6th grade
Nancy Reyes, Loma Vista Elementary School, 6th grade
Jorge Santacruz, John Steinbeck Elementary School, 6th grade
Nico Scow, Monterey County Home Charter School, 6th grade

All participating school champions received a commemorative t-shirt from Fashion Streaks and a large prize bag that included office/school supplies from Office Depot, California Rodeo ticket, California International Airshow Salinas tickets, meal certificate from Carl’s Jr., dental care products from Chao Dental Care, and edible goodies from Star Market.

Special thanks to our other sponsors:
Pebble Beach Authors and Ideas Festival, The Gannett Foundation, El Camino Machine & Welding, Richard & Ginny Brown, Rabobank, Rio Farms, Pebble Beach Company, Mann Packing Co., Monterey Herald, Salinas Californian, South County Newspapers, Portola Hotel & Spa, CopyMat, Fashion Streaks, Office Depot, Carl’s Jr.,  Schubert Nursery, The Salad Shoppe, Coca-Cola,  Star Market, California International Airshow Salinas, and Hartnell College.

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