TONASKET – Fourth grader Calvin Sutton took first place and third grader Xenohon (Xen) Fardys took second place in the Tonasket Elementary Spelling Bee January 31.

Sutton will move on to the Regional Spelling Bee in Wenatchee March 14. Fardys will not attend Regionals this year, as only fourth and fifth grade students can move on. Third place winner and fourth grader Mackenzie Brock will join Sutton at Regionals in March.

Competing in Wednesday’s event were first grader Patrick Fancher, second graders Ronan Tafolla and Gabriel Sanchez, third graders Kerrington Johansen and Fardys, fourth graders Sutton and Brock and fifth graders Emma Attwood and Marylu Taffola.

The first round eliminated three spellers, and the remaining six students cruised through the second, third and fourth rounds with no mis-spelled words. Rounds five, six and seven each eliminated one speller, with the remaining three spellers making it to round nine with no mistakes. In the ninth round, both Fardys and Brock mis-spelled words, and Sutton took first place. In the tie-breaking tenth round, Brock mis-spelled regents and Fardys correctly spelled infraction.

First place winner Sutton correctly spelled promise, impact, offer, shelves, protested, severely, spinster, receptions and hoarsely.

Second place winner Fardys correctly spelled thrilling, oval, shabby, lazily, amusing, custody, slobbery, grocery and infraction; and missed testament.

Third place winner Brock correctly spelled cosmic, clipper, cattle, crumpled, superb, intersect, diagram and valuables; and missed disengage and regents.

The spelling bee was broadcast live into classrooms throughout the elementary school.

Officiating the event was Jessica Geer, with Principal Jeremy Clark and Superintendent Steve McCullough serving as judges.

The March 14 Regional Spelling Bee will be held at Eastmont Junior High.