Highlands student wins Leeward spelling bee
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer
KAPOLEI — Sarah Iida of Highlands Intermediate School defeated 16 other students to win last night's Honolulu Advertiser Leeward O'ahu District Spelling Bee.
It took Sarah, 13, eight rounds to claim victory. She won on the word "isogram."
Chase Merritt, 14, of Messiah Lutheran School, came in second.
Both students will compete in the State Spelling Bee March 16 in Honolulu.
But the real battle of the evening at Kapolei Middle School was for third place. After first and second place were decided, Andrew Itsuno, also of Highlands Intermediate, and Jose Barbasa of Ilima Intermediate School stepped up to the microphone and took the crowd through another half-hour.
For seven more rounds, they took on and correctly spelled such words as "insectivorous" and "postprandial."
Finally, Andrew missed on the word "bilious."
That meant that Jose had to spell two words correctly to win: "repugnance" and "eulogy." He did, and took third place, to a thunderous round of applause.
A total of 14 district winners will receive special gifts from Sears, Island Heritage, Consolidated Theatres, Tesoro Hawaii, Hawaii Court Reporters Association and Anderson News Co.
The State Spelling Bee champion also wins an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in May; a $100 U.S. Savings Bond from Jay Sugarman; Spelling Bee merchandise; a Webster's Third New International Dictionary; a $200 Sears merchandise certificate; and a special gift basket from Island Heritage.
Both winner and runner-up will receive a $100 and $50 cash award from Dee Dee and James Sutherland and a Radio Shack CD player and accessories.
Comp-USA also donates a computer and printer to the champion's school. Travel for neighbor island participants and escorts is sponsored by Aloha Airlines.
The district bee schedule is:
• Windward, Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., Le Jardin Academy.
• Central, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., Mililani Middle School.
