Twenty-one top 1st-8th grade spellers competed in Atlantic Christian School’s annual Spelling Bee on February 17 and 4th grader Madelyn (Maddie) Petrinec of Ocean City clinched first place. Maddie will represent Atlantic Christian School at the Scripps South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee in Vineland on March 12.
This was Maddie’s first spelling bee win, after competing for the first time last year and placing second. 7th grader Garrett Martin of Egg Harbor Township placed second in this year’s bee, 4th grader Tamara Kulov of Egg Harbor Township placed third, and 8th grader Marcus Anderson of Pleasantville placed fourth. The 21 all-star spellers who competed in the Bee had either won or placed as a runner up in classroom bees held in January.
During the February 17 Bee, which was held on the stage in the gym, proud family members and students watched and cheered from the audience. The Bee went 43 rounds, with Maddie and Garrett going head to head for the last 21 rounds before Garrett misspelled “Chelonia” and Maddie correctly spelled the 225th word in the bee — “justaucorps.”
“We are very proud of all our top spellers and I know Maddie will represent Atlantic Christian well in the upcoming regional bee on March 12 where she will compete against students from other area schools,” said Jessica Martin, the ACS Spelling Club Advisor. Martin said the students had a month to prepare for the all-school bee by studying a list of 450 words provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Martin was also the pronouncer for the school’s Bee.
The top 21 spellers who competed in the Bee, by grade level, were:
1st Grade: Grigory Kagramanov (EHT), Molly Klinetob (Mays Landing), and Carson Myers (EHT)
2nd Grade: Alexander Dimashi (EHT), Grace Petrinec (Ocean City), and Olivia Smith (Mays Landing)
3rd Grade: Caitlin Doucett (EHT), Sofia Huezo (EHT), and Khaleesi Nyanankpe (Mays Landing)
4th Grade: Joey Kinch (EHT), Tamara Kulov (EHT), and Madelyn Petrinec (Ocean City)
5th Grade: Mia Gaffney (Galloway), Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney (EHT), and Reese Resnick (EHT)
6th Grade: Matthew Coates (EHT) and Caelyn Domsic (Marmora)
7th Grade: Caedyn Hahn-Chaney (EHT) and Garrett Martin (EHT)
8th Grade: Marcus Anderson (Pleasantville) and Gabriella Goodwin (Mays Landing)
