ORLANDO, Florida – After one of the longest Central Florida spelling bees in recent history, 11-year-old Philippine-born Miguel Gatmaytan late last month won top honors and a trip to the nation's capital with the word cossack. The Ocala boy smiled, shook runner-up Sophie Jupillat's hand, then sat down while his father and others rushed to take his photo. A few minutes later, the victory seemed to sink in. Miguel, a sixth-grader at Osceola Middle School in Marion County, survived 38 rounds of spelling challenges and beat out 13 other competitors to win the 48th annual Central Florida bee.
The youngest regional
spelling champion in more than a decade, Miguel’s victory earned him a spot in
the National Spelling Bee in May.
“I feel awesome,” Miguel
said after he had been handed a trophy and prizes, which included $2,000 for
travel expenses to Washington, DC. After 24 rounds,
Miguel and Sophie, the Lake County champion, were the last
two spellers left, and they battled for the top spot.
The Mail RSS Feed.
