Lena Denton and Jeff Schwartz, (Kearney Public Schools, Courtesy)
KEARNEY — Windy Hills Elementary fifth grader Lena Denton captured first place at the UNK/KPS Spelling Bee on Tuesday, Feb. 24, winning the championship in a nine-round competition.
The competition began with a written exam, followed by a written tie-breaker to determine finalists. From there, only 15 of 115 students advanced to the first round of oral competition. Throughout the early rounds, students were challenged with words such as rakish, careened, dubious, marauder, and ruefully.
By the ninth round, just four students remained. Lena was the only finalist to correctly spell her word — dignitaries (d-i-g-n-i-t-a-r-i-e-s) — securing the championship title.
“Lena demonstrated tremendous focus, confidence, and perseverance throughout the competition,” said Jeff Schwartz, Kearney Public Schools Director of Student Services and Safety. “Spelling bees challenge students to think critically under pressure, and Lena rose to the moment. We are proud of her hard work and this outstanding accomplishment.”
Kearney Public Schools congratulates Lena Denton on her outstanding performance and thanks all participating students for their hard work, preparation, and dedication to academic excellence.
