PORT ANGELES — A “courageous” endeavor and a savvy little “professor” won top honors in the Port Angeles All-City Spelling Bee.
James Burkhardt, fifth-grade student at Roosevelt Elementary, placed first in the elementary level bee by spelling the word “courageous” correctly at the city-wide bee last Tuesday.
Mason Reynolds, a sixth-grade student at Olympic Christian School, placed second.
At the middle-school level, Emily Bundy, an eighth-grade student at Queen of Angels, finished first by spelling “professor” correctly.
Felicia Che, a Queen of Angels seventh-grade student, placed second.
Students from Port Angeles School District elementary and middle schools — Dry Creek, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson and Roosevelt elementary schools, and Stevens Middle School — and Queen of Angels and Olympic Christian private schools participated in the competition at the Vern Burton Community Center.
The annual bee, sponsored by Soroptimist International Port Angeles-Jet Set and the Friends of the North Olympic Library System, included two contests: the first among fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students and the second for seventh- and eighth-grade students.
Each of the top two winners in both divisions received a trophy and book bags filled with prizes donated by the Friends of the North Olympic Library System.
Finalists had participated in “spell downs” in their respective class and school bees and advanced to the annual all-city bee.
Participating finalists and alternates among students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades were:
■ Dry Creek Elementary — Maleeah Casey, Anne Edwards, Connor Judy and Keleia Epley, with alternates Niko Ross, Imagine Bankson, Jayden Bundy and Logan Beebe.
■ Franklin Elementary — Derek Alin and Anneka Joner, with alternates Khali Kennedy and Delfono Martinez-Vasquez.
■ Hamilton Elementary — Joelle Sommers, Xander Maestras, Chelsy Apao, Brooke Coons and Kiera Woodward, with alternates Mason Balch, Samantha Robbins, Pursha True, Sam Camacho and Blake Parker.
■ Jefferson Elementary — Mikala Thompson, Joseph Hill, Arion Swain, Abigail Moore, Cadance Grossell, Raven Taylor and Isabel Mujica, with alternates Morgan Johnson and David Johnson.
■ Roosevelt Elementary — First-place finisher Burkhardt, Ginger Kardonsky, Mikaya Haller, Bryce Hodgson, Chava Haller, Briauna Simpson, Talia Anderson, Daniel Hornack and Alivia Smith, with alternates Gabby Montana, Austin Seelye, Olivia Carroll, Madeline Montana and Seth Schroeder.
■ Olympic Christian School — Second-place winner Reynolds, Edun Bailey and Sydney Frymyer, with alternates Christina Caples, Emily Landers and Noelani Rediger.
■ Queen of Angels — Sage Glover, Kira Commerton and Aidan Braaten, with alternates Jasmine Jackson, Connor Burnette and Abby Austin.
Participating finalists and alternates among students in the seventh and eighth grades were:
■ Olympic Christian — Mikkiah Brady with alternate Kia Noel.
■ Queen of Angels — First- and second-place winners Bundy and Che, with alternates Emily Sirguy and Makayla Peabody.
■ Stevens Middle School — Darien Woodward, Adam Moore, Rehanna Fangman, Kevin Sommers, Ashlee Seelye, Matthew Tiemersma, Linus Waddell, Isabelle Cottam, Hollund Bailey, Briauna Simpson and Glenn Deckard.
Not participating in the finals were Jackson Larsen, Kaya Reynolds, Brandon Gomez, Arthur Murphy, Stewart Koehler and Hannah Stone.
Alternates participating in the finals were Dakota Stewart , Donavan Brosseau-Adams, Mackenzie Carney, Sadie Pharr and Glenn Deckard.
Other alternates were Angelo Ramos, Triton Edwards, Amberlynn Robertson, Blake Hobbs and Jacob Aldana.