Carter Noftle is Red Rock's spelling champ

ROYAL CITY - Fourth-grader Carter Noftle was crowned the Red Rock Elementary School Spelling Bee champion on Feb. 17, and now he and fifth grade champ Broderick Fanning start preparing for the NCW Collaborative Spelling Bee next month.

The North Central Washington Collaborative Spelling Bee will be held at Eastmont Junior High School in East Wenatchee on Thursday, March 19, starting at 6 p.m.

The competition on Feb. 17 was among the 20 finalists of the fourth grade and the 20 finalists of the fifth grade. Those were determined in a class-wide preliminary round.

First up on the 17th was the fourth grade at 10 a.m. The 20 students competed word after word with the pressure of parents and third- and fourth-grade students watching. They went 11 rounds.

Noftle was declared the winner with his correct spelling of the word "massage."

There was a tie-breaker round to decide the fourth grade runner-up. That was Daniel Farias.

At 1 p.m., the 20 fifth-grade finalists competed with parents and fourth- and fifth-grade students making up the audience. These youngsters went eight rounds.

Fanning was awarded first place with the correct spelling of the word "ultimatum."

The fifth grade also held a tie breaker round for 2nd place. Sierra Holmes was awarded the trophy.

Then came the showdown between the top two fourth-graders and top two fifth-graders. The four champion spellers went six rounds before the school champ was decided.

Noftle won with his correct spelling of the word "llama." Sierra Holmes came in second during the championship round.

All participating students, as well as the alternates, from the fourth and fifth grade received laminated certificates for their hard work and participation.

The first place winner for 5th grade, Broderick Fanning, and the first place winner for 4th grade, Carter Noftle will move on to compete in the NWC Bee.