2019 Nelson County Spelling Bee
by Sharon Young, Nelson County Supt. of Schools
Lydia Stein and Kylie Wall were named Champion and 1st Runner-up respectively at the Nelson County Spelling Bee held February 20 at Dakota Prairie Elementary School in McVille. They will both advance to the North Dakota State Spelling Bee on March 18 in Bismarck.
Lydia is an eighth grader at Dakota Prairie High School. Kylie is an eighth grader at Lakota High School. Sydnee Johnston, a seventh grader at Dakota Prairie, was 2nd Runner-up and is the alternate to the state competition.
Forty-six students in grades 3-8 competed in the annual event. The Spelling Bee competition included both written and oral rounds.
Winners in the elementary competition were:
Grade 3 Champion: Taven Huso, Lakota
Grade 3 First Runner-up: Kenley Blasey, Dakota Prairie
Grade 4 Champion: Dagan Slade, Dakota Prairie
Grade 4 First Runner-up: Laura Steffan, Lakota
Grade 5 Champion: Lily Donohue, Dakota Prairie
Grade 5 First Runner-up: Brandi Schock, Dakota Prairie
Grade 6 Champion: Nevaeh Huso, Lakota
Grade 6 First Runner-up: Isabelle Sateren, Dakota Prairie
The Lakota American provided plaques for the individual winners. They were presented to the students by Cheryl Wall. Each participant received a certificate and ribbon for representing their school.
BLUE RIBBON WINNERS
GRADE 3: Kenley Blasey, Dakota Prairie
Taven Huso, Lakota
Taylor Joramo, Lakota
Sy Maresh, Dakota Prairie
GRADE 4: Tegen Dahlen, Dakota Prairie
Mya Luehring, Dakota Prairie
Dagan Slade, Dakota Prairie
Laura Steffan, Lakota
GRADE 5: Tyler Cree-Beglau, Dakota Prairie
Lily Donohue, Dakota Prairie
Brandi Schock, Dakota Prairie
Ellen Stein, Dakota Prairie
GRADE 6: Madysen Blasey, Dakota Prairie
Nevaeh Huso, Lakota
Nick Nenow, Dakota Prairie
Isabelle Sateren, Dakota Prairie
Brooke Watkins, Dakota Prairie
Gunner Zlotkowski, Dakota Prairie
GRADE 7-8: Tyra Cree-Beglau, Dakota Prairie
Marco Gurrea, Dakota Prairie
Elizabeth Hallisey, Dakota Prairie
Sydnee Johnston, Dakota Prairie
Preston Lee, Dakota Prairie
Seth Monsebroten, Dakota Prairie
Rylan Parsley, Dakota Prairie
Ozzie Skogen, Lakota
Ariana Slettebak, Dakota Prairie
Lydia Stein, Dakota Prairie
Kylie Wall, Lakota
RED RIBBON WINNERS
GRADE 3: Hailey Avdem, Dakota Prairie
Aubree Christinson, Dakota Prairie
Marley Stein, Dakota Prairie
GRADE 4: Tate Bullis, Lakota
Ty Kremer, Lakota
Abigail Speck, Dakota Prairie
GRADE 5: Samantha Hjelseth, Dakota Prairie
Ethan Matejcek, Lakota
Brody Rainsberry, Lakota
Rider Schmidt, Lakota
GRADE 6: Kaylee Prosser, Lakota
Joe Skalicky, Lakota
Aria Strong, Dakota Prairie
Anthony Terrell, Lakota
GRADE 7-8: Evan Bozich-Hoglund, Dakota Prairie
Kasey Hovdenes, Dakota Prairie
Liam Lodermeier, Lakota
Coordinator and word list preparer for the Spelling Bee was Sharon Young, Nelson County Superintendent of Schools. Jackie Bye, Dakota Prairie Elementary Principal, was in charge of all arrangements at the host site.
Pronouncers were Jenni Sateren, Amy Olson, Jay Slade, Jackie Bye, and Karen Retzlaff. Judges were Marilyn Beier, Marcella Olson, Jill Wall, Kevin Baumgarn, Whitney Parks, Sarah Johnson, Alyson Parsley, Brendon Parsley, Traci Sand, and Laura Walter.
Correctors were Norma Trost, Juliet Aslakson, Annetta Nelson, Betty Kroke, Helen Moen, Joyce Dahlen, Sylvia Daws, Tony Davis, Sandy Davis, Paulette Haugen, Amy Ohnstad, Phyllis Trostad, Margaret Johnson, Mary Ann Daws, Joyce Severson, Judy Twete, Delores Sandager, Diane Hoveskeland, Jean Miller, and Joan Sateren.
The State Spelling Bee is cosponsored by the North Dakota Association of County Superintendents and the North Dakota Newspaper Association. Financial support is from the ND Masonic Foundation and the ND Newspaper Association Education Foundation. The ND State Spelling Bee winner will compete in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. on May 27-30, 2019.