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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, February 17, 2005

Mililani seventh-grader wins Central District bee with 'luck and skill'

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer

MILILANI MAUKA — Seventh-grader Jordan Takayama of Mililani Middle School won the Central District Spelling Bee last night, correctly spelling "hieroglyphics" in the final round.

"I had seen it before and knew I could spell it," Takayama said.

Eighth-grader Gerry Brughelli outlasted Cameron Crowell-Schoch in a battle of Holy Family Catholic Academy schoolmates to clinch the runner-up spot.

Takayama and Brughelli advance to The Honolulu Advertiser State Spelling Bee on March 13 at Windward Community College. Twenty-seven students participated in the bee at Mililani Middle School.

Takayama, the son of Layne and Sandi Takayama, thought he had been eliminated in the sixth round on the word "propinquity." Covering his face at the microphone, he walked dejectedly back to his seat only to learn he had spelled it correctly.

"I thought I misspelled it and was feeling doomed," he said.

He later spelled "trierarchy" correctly in what he admitted was a lucky stab at the word. "It meant quite a lot to me," he said of winning. "This is the happiest day of my life. You have to have luck and skill."

The state finalists will receive prizes from Sears, Island Heritage, Consolidated Theatres and Enjoy Snacks.

The state Spelling Bee champion will win a free trip for two to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in June and a $100 U.S. savings bond from Jay Sugarman. Merriam-Webster will donate a Webster's Third New International Dictionary to the winner and a Merriam-Webster's College Dictionary to the runner-up.

The national contestants will compete for cash prizes ranging from $50 to $12,000.

Supporting sponsors are AIG Hawai'i, KFC, Burger King, 7-Eleven, CompUSA and Aloha Airlines and Aston Resorts, who are providing travel and accommodations for Neighbor Island participants.

Other prize sponsors include Radio Shack, Dede and James Sutherland, the Hawai'i Court Reporters and Captioners Association, and Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Here are the other qualifiers so far for the State Spelling Bee:

• Windward: Nicole Kim, St. Ann's School (first place) and Jonathan Lee, St. Anthony School.

• Kaua'i: Cheslene Halog, Waimea Canyon School (first place) and Natasha Abadilla, Saint Theresa School.

• Honolulu: Jasmine Kaneshiro, Hawai'i Baptist Academy (first place) and Alex Chiya, Stevenson Middle School.