Oxford speller makes it to third round of National Spelling Bee
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Lea Davis, the Oxford eighth grader representing our region in the National Spelling Bee, made it through the third round of competition but missed the cut for the semifinals by just two points.
“I’m very, very proud of her,” said Margaret Davis, mother of the 13-year old. She and her husband David accompanied their daughter to the nations capitol for the week of events surrounding the competition.
In round one’s written exam on Tuesday, each of the 293 contestants were given 50 words to spell. 25 of those words counted toward their preliminary score. Davis scored 20 out of the 25 points possible in the round.
Some of the words were challenging, Davis said. The list included words such as “onychorrhexis,” “Micawber,” “quomodo.” One she struggled with was the Latin word “civitas.”
“I spelled that one wrong,” she admitted.
On Wednesday, spellers competed on stage in the second and third rounds of the bee. Since the rounds were broadcast live on ESPN360.com, the stage was filled with lights and cameras, which made the competition even more challenging.
“It’s really overwhelming being onstage with all of the cameras,” Davis reported, describing a camera boom which swung across the stage among the spellers.
Despite the distraction, the Oxford middle schooler excelled in both rounds two and three, correctly spelling first “lavatory,” and then “indicia” to secure an additional six points. But when it came time to determine which spellers would advance to the semi-finals, she narrowly missed the cut off score of 28 out of a possible 31.
“It was just so close,” Davis said.
“It’s a tough, tough competition,” her mom said.
A total of 41 contestants will be competing today in the semi-final round, which will be televised live on ESPN at 10 tonight. The finals will be broadcast at 8 this evening on ABC. Davis and her parents will be in the audience cheering on the remaining spellers.
While Davis may be disappointed she didn’t make it further in the competition, she is enjoying her trip immensely.
“It’s nice to see Washington, even if it’s only for a week,” she said. The family has already gotten to do some sightseeing already, and plans to do more before they return home on Saturday.
One of Davis’ favorite activities so far was a picnic held for spellers and their families on Monday in Arlington. The event gave participants a chance to meet, get to know one another and sign each other’s autograph books. One Davis is particularly proud of is the signature of the competition’s first speller from China.
“It’s really such an amazing experience,” she said.
“I’m very, very proud of her,” said Margaret Davis, mother of the 13-year old. She and her husband David accompanied their daughter to the nations capitol for the week of events surrounding the competition.
In round one’s written exam on Tuesday, each of the 293 contestants were given 50 words to spell. 25 of those words counted toward their preliminary score. Davis scored 20 out of the 25 points possible in the round.
Some of the words were challenging, Davis said. The list included words such as “onychorrhexis,” “Micawber,” “quomodo.” One she struggled with was the Latin word “civitas.”
“I spelled that one wrong,” she admitted.
On Wednesday, spellers competed on stage in the second and third rounds of the bee. Since the rounds were broadcast live on ESPN360.com, the stage was filled with lights and cameras, which made the competition even more challenging.
“It’s really overwhelming being onstage with all of the cameras,” Davis reported, describing a camera boom which swung across the stage among the spellers.
Despite the distraction, the Oxford middle schooler excelled in both rounds two and three, correctly spelling first “lavatory,” and then “indicia” to secure an additional six points. But when it came time to determine which spellers would advance to the semi-finals, she narrowly missed the cut off score of 28 out of a possible 31.
“It was just so close,” Davis said.
“It’s a tough, tough competition,” her mom said.
A total of 41 contestants will be competing today in the semi-final round, which will be televised live on ESPN at 10 tonight. The finals will be broadcast at 8 this evening on ABC. Davis and her parents will be in the audience cheering on the remaining spellers.
While Davis may be disappointed she didn’t make it further in the competition, she is enjoying her trip immensely.
“It’s nice to see Washington, even if it’s only for a week,” she said. The family has already gotten to do some sightseeing already, and plans to do more before they return home on Saturday.
One of Davis’ favorite activities so far was a picnic held for spellers and their families on Monday in Arlington. The event gave participants a chance to meet, get to know one another and sign each other’s autograph books. One Davis is particularly proud of is the signature of the competition’s first speller from China.
“It’s really such an amazing experience,” she said.
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