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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, February 20, 2005

Big Isle 7th-grader wins

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Staff Writer

KEALAKEHE, Hawai'i — Konawaena Middle School seventh-grader Teagan Nakamoto spelled "ebonize" and "lignite" correctly yesterday to emerge as winner of the the Hawai'i District Spelling Bee Final at Kealakehe Intermediate School in Kailua, Kona.

Students from the west side of the Big Island dominated on their home turf as Dannielle Bean, an eighth-grader from Kealakehe Intermediate, was named the district bee's runner-up.

Winners in the annual competition for seventh- and eighth-graders advance to the state finals on March 13 on O'ahu. The winner in that event will advance to the national finals on the Mainland in June.

Nakamoto, 12, made the competition look pretty easy, perhaps because he's the kind of guy who can consume an 800-page Harry Potter volume in three days.

"I read a lot, that's one thing, and I practice pretty hard," he said.

Also competing were Tyler Macadangdang and Grace Matsuura of Haili Christian; Braden Erickson and Wilson Inman of Hawai'i Preparatory Academy; Christopher Cryan of Hilo Intermediate; Ashriel Fishman and Keoni Correa of Kamehameha Schools' Hawai'i Island campus; Kelsea Wells of Kealakehe Intermediate; Chelsea Abril of Konawaena; Nicanor Lopez and Jessica Vallente of Pa'auilo; Cruz Martinez and Charnelle Julian of St. Joseph School in Hilo; and Billy Kailimai of Waimea Country School.

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

The state 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 College Dictionary to the runner-up.

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.