County's Best Speller - Dowling wins first


Thursday, February 1, 2007
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County’s best speller
• Dowling wins first

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

Photos by Sue Watson

Celebration
Josh Dowling enjoys his victory Saturday in the Marshall County Spelling Bee.

For the second year in a row a Byhalia school student has taken first place in the Marshall County Spelling Bee.

Sixth grader Josh Dowling of Byhalia Middle School took first place Saturday after a spell out that went 10 rounds. He won first place by spelling correctly the word ‘agile.’

Second place went to Potts Camp fifth grader Alan Shaw and Holly Springs Intermediate School fifth grade student Lewis Bruce came in third place.

Photos by Sue Watson

School Spirit Award
Galena School celebrated winning the spirit award at the Marshall County Spelling Bee Saturday. From left are Zsa’Xhani Davis, Amber Johnson, Porche Frizell, Destiny Braswell and Khadija Craine.

Galena School won the Spirit Award for having the most people sign in at the bee.

Dowling is the son of Beth Parker. He was supported by his coach Jessica Merritt, Byhalia Middle School fifth grade teacher, his mother, his sister Josie and his best friend Matthew Hicks.

Shaw is the son of Glenn and Mary Shaw of Potts Camp, and Bruce was accompanied by his mother Linda Bruce.

The battle for first, second and third place awards began in round seven with three words called out - adequate, career and gratitude - by pronouncer Diane Schule. The speller standing in round eight misspelled curfew and all three contestants returned to try again with the words bristle, nuisance and mildew bring round eight to a close with two contestants standing. The two spellers both missed their words in round nine - contingency and veterinarian - and all three spellers were recalled to finish the round.

Dowling was the last man standing in round 10 and took the winners place by correctly spelling the word agile.

Award winners
Top winners celebrated their awards with friends and family. Left to right are Jessica Merritt, coach, Josie Dowling, Beth Parker, Matthew Hicks, Josh Dowling (first place trophy), Glenn Shaw, Mary Shaw and Alan Shaw (second place winner) and Linda Bruce and Lewis Bruce (third place winner) and Jalan Shaw, brother of Alan Shaw.

Other students who participated in the bee are Shelbie Dalton, Yasmine Matthews and Keefer Podewils of Byhalia Middle School; Destiny Braswell, Zsa’Xhani Davis, Khadija Craine and Shontila Jones of Galena; Chavez Ramsey of Holly Springs Intermediate; Zack Caldwell, Stephen Pannell, Elgin Lafever and Matt Dalton of Marshall Academy; and Dakota McGee, Kiera Cowan and Ashley Harris of Potts Camp.

The Holly Springs-Marshall County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. sponsors the bee, which is open to students from all schools, public and private, in the county.

This year’s judges were Marion Talley, Anna Morrison and Patricia Selman.

The members of the spelling bee committee were Marvia Kilgore, co-chairperson and founder, Fannie Lampley, Tavedia Tipler, Wanda Pegues, Boyce Blackmon, Maureen Jones, Caroll Seldon, Angie Reed-Hudson, Hortensia Dean, Mary Milan, Cassandra Faulkner and Truly Payne.

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