Posted on: Thursday, January 31, 2002; updated at: 11:41 a.m.
St. Francis 8th-grader is spelling bee winner
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
For Kathryn Yadao, life is a "caparet."
The eighth-grader from St. Francis School was eliminated from the Honolulu District Spelling Bee in the fourth round yesterday apparently after misspelling "cabaret." But when an appeal was filed on her behalf, the judges determined they had misheard her spell the word as "caparet" and she had correcly spelled "cabaret."
The judges allowed her to return to the contest. Four rounds later the 13-year-old correctly spelled "tangible" and "mortification" to capture first place.
Yadao said she was grateful for the second chance.
Yadao is the daughter of Joy and Francis Yadao of Kalihi.
Finishing second was Ty Yamamoto, an eighth-grader at Hawai'i Baptist Academy. The 13-year-old 'Aiea resident is the son of Joan and Tracy Tanji.
Yadao and Yamamoto qualify for The Honolulu Advertiser State Spelling Bee, which will be shown on K5 at 7 p.m. March 16.
A total of 14 district winners will receive special gifts from Sears, Island Heritage, Consolidated Theatres, Tesoro Hawaii, the 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 Webster's Third New International Dictionary; a $200 Sears merchandise certificate; a $100 U.S. Savings Bond from Jay Sugarman; Spelling Bee merchandise; a Radio Shack CD player and accessories; and a special gift basket from Island Heritage. Travel for Neighbor Island participants is sponsored by Aloha Airlines.
The district bee schedule is:
• Maui, tomorrow, 6 p.m., Baldwin High School Multipurpose Room.
• Big Island, Saturday, 1 p.m., Hilo High School.
• Kaua'i, Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m., Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.
• Leeward, Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Kapolei Middle School.
• Windward, Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., Le Jardin Academy.
• Central, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., Mililani Middle School.ff
