Three local students participate in Scripps National Spelling Bee

WASHINGTON D.C., Md. (WBKO) - Three students put their spelling skills to the test Tuesday for the 95th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Noah Brumfield, 13, Isabella Carver, 11, and Ian Gibson, 13, represented Kentucky and Visit Hopkinsville this year, after placing first through third in Kentucky’s Scripps Spelling Regional earlier this year.

Brumfield is a 7th grader at Madison Middle School, Carver a 5th grader at Hanson Elementary School, and Gibson is a 7th grader at Bowling Green Junior High School.

The participants say, preparing for this national competition took a lot of practice and studying.

“There’s an app on your phone called Word Club,” Brumfield said. “It’s actually made by Scripps, and that’s how I study most of the time. And then my mom reads me words out of a notebook, and I spell back to her.”

During the preliminary rounds, all three made it through the first round.

But then, round two came with harder questions for Carver and Brumfield.

Brumfield’s question was “Turgor refers to what?”

He answered, “a large European fish.” The correct answer was “the normal state of fullness in living cells.”

Carver was up next.

She was asked “What does it mean to ingratiate”, and answered, “to fix deeply through repetition.”

She also answered incorrect, with the correct answer being, “to make agreeable to someone.”

Ian Gibson made it to round three and there was asked to spell ‘verset,’ and did not spell it correctly.

While all three were eliminated this year, Carver said she plans to be back next year with the hopes of winning.

“I’m probably going to study a lot more, because I did study, but not as much as I probably should have,” Carver said.

For kids who want to become a speller, both Carver and Brumfield shared the same advice: study.

“Etymology. Study that because that helps a lot,” Brumfield said. “And then study prefixes.”

Quarterfinals and semifinals will air Wednesday, May 31, and finals will be Thursday, June 1.

To find ways to watch the Scripps National Spelling Bee live, visit their website.

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