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Saturday, March 19, 2005
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Little Falls 8th-grader wins regional bee
Staff Writer The south beat the north Friday at The Lakes Bee at Tornstrom Auditorium.
The south, represented by Jake DeVine, an eighth-grader at Little Falls Community Middle School, beat the north, Kirk Fredrickson, a seventh-grader at Pine River-Backus High School, in the regional spelling bee. After 10 rounds, Jake claimed the championship and won a trip to Washington, D.C., for the national competition.
There were 38 students in fifth- through eighth-grade from Crow Wing, Morrison, Wadena, Todd and Cass counties who competed in the regional bee, sponsored by The Brainerd Dispatch and the National Joint Powers Alliance.
Jake, 14, the son of Jacki and Kurt DeVine of Little Falls, will advance to compete in The Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee May 31-June 2 in Washington.
In Round Seven of the regional bee there were three students left, Jake, Kirk and Stetson McAdams, a seventh-grader in the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle School District.
Stetson misspelled "Hellenic" and was eliminated. Stetson, 13, said this was his hardest word and he thought there was only one "L" in the word. Last year, Stetson took eighth place in the regional bee.
It came down to Jake and Kirk in the final three rounds. Both students spelled their words correctly in the eighth round and they each spelled their words incorrectly in the ninth round.
In Round 10, Kirk spelled "piebald" wrong. Jake had to spell "machismo." Jake asked the judge for the word's origin and slowly began spelling the word. The audience grew quiet.
Jake spelled the word correctly and the audience gasped and then applauded his efforts.
However, the spelling bee was not over. The rules for The Lakes Bee specify that the student has to spell two words correctly in a row to win. Jake's winning word was "schussboomer," one who skis usually straight downhill at high speed.
Jake said he was nervous during the competition.
"I was sweating the whole time," he said. "I just wanted to get it over with."
Jake said even though he was nervous, he also was confident. He said he studied quite a bit and knew most of the words. He also has experience in competing at regionals and was used to the bright, hot spotlight on stage. He competed in regionals in fifth- and sixth-grade.
A strategy Jake used in the competition was he asked questions on his words, such as its origin, to buy time. He also wanted to make sure he spelled the correct word.
Jake said his hardest word was "garderobe," the only one he got wrong in Round Nine when Kirk also misspelled a word. Jake's easiest word was "decorative."
For placing first, Jake will receive a trip for two to Washington, a $100 savings bond, a Webster's dictionary and a trophy.
For second place, Kirk won a trophy, a $25 gift card from Best Buy and a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate.
Kirk, 13, the son of Barbara and Eric Fredrickson of Backus, said this was the second time he competed in the regional bee and he was nervous in the beginning and at the end of the competition.
Kirk said he looked over the spelling bee booklet to study when he had time. He said he spent more time on his homework and on hockey.
The hardest word for Kirk was "piebald" and his easiest word was "misinterpret."
Kirk's younger brother, Christian, who is a fifth-grader, also competed in the regional bee. Christian was eliminated in the fifth round. Kirk said his brother beat him in the district bee.
All students who competed received a medal and coupons at area businesses.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER can be reached at or 855-5851.
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