Atlantic Christian Top Spellers Compete; Winner 5th Grader Madelyn Petrinec of Ocean City Advances to Regional Spelling Bee

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – 5^th grader Madelyn (Maddie) Petrinec of Ocean City will represent Atlantic Christian School at the Scripps South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee in Camden on Saturday, March 25, after winning the school’s 2023 Spelling Bee in mid-February. Maddie placed first among 19 Atlantic Christian students from the 1^st- 8^th grades after 2 hours and 27 rounds of competition.

This will be Maddie’s second appearance in the regional bee, after winning Atlantic Christian’s 2022 Spelling Bee. Maddie placed fifth in the 2022 Regional Bee and is hoping to make it to the winner’s circle this year.

“Since this is Maddie’s second time representing ACS at the Regional Bee, I am optimistic that she will draw upon her prior experience and will do well in this upcoming competition,” said Jessica Martin, Atlantic Christian’s Spelling Club Advisor, who was also the word pronouncer for the school’s Bee.
Coming in second place in Atlantic Christian’s February 16 Spelling Bee was 1^st grader Zackary Alobeidy of Egg Harbor Township and placing 3^rd was 6^th grader Brody Panetta of Egg Harbor Township. Brody stayed in the Bee through the first 19 rounds. Zackary

and Maddie then went head to head for another 7 rounds before Zackary misspelled “thurible” and Maddie correctly spelled “nares” and then “eurythmics,” marking the 213^th word in the competition.

The top 19 spellers who competed in the Bee, by grade level, were:

1st Grade: Zackary Alobeidy (Egg Harbor Township), Eleanora Campbell (Northfield);

2nd Grade: Chase Hemberger (Egg Harbor City), Carson Myers (Egg Harbor Township), Janessa Obot (Egg Harbor Township);

3rd Grade: Chloe Capito (Beesley’s Point), Amelia Crespo (Egg Harbor Township), Rachael Eachus (Ocean City);

4th Grade: Caitlin Doucett (Egg Harbor Township), Lindsay Eachus (Ocean City);

5th Grade: Giovanna Altier (Northfield), Tamara Kulov (Egg Harbor Township), Madelyn (Maddie) Petrinec (Ocean City);

6th Grade: Eva Dimashi (Egg Harbor Township), Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney (Egg Harbor Township), and Brody Panetta (Egg Harbor Township);

7th Grade: Grace Lushina (Egg Harbor Township) and Antonino Miranda (Mays Landing); 8th Grade: Caedyn Hahn-Chaney (Egg Harbor Township).