S-U-C-C-E-S-S.
In a spelling bee, success is a matter of luck and knowledge, according to Spencer O'Bryan.
Spencer, 14, is representing Milford Central School for the second year in a row in Saturday's The Daily Star Spelling Bee.
Twenty-six participants will take part in the seventh annual event at 10 a.m. at the Goodrich Theater at the State University College at Oneonta.
The contest is open to qualifying students through eighth grade. The winner receives a trip to the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in May.
"Getting the word right just depends on the day, the words that come up and your level of competence," Spencer said. "It's all in the moment."
Spencer won a place in the regional event by correctly spelling the words "turbulence" and "criticism."
He said he is gearing up for Saturday's contest by reading.
"I read a lot and whenever I come across a new word, I close the book and spell it a couple of times," Spencer said.
One of the youngest competitors in the event is Jessica Martin, 10, who is representing Hancock Central School. She is the only fifth-grader in the event.
"Glossary" is the word that cinched the local win for Jessica, but she said the hardest word she faced in the school competition was "percussion."
Jessica said she has been studying words on the Scripps website.
"I enjoy spelling, but I never really thought I would win," Jessica said.
Jessica's English teacher, Amber Dennis, said: "She is a great little speller. She beat out all the other kids."
One of the other contestants in Hancock was Jessica's older sister, Jamie, 13. Dennis said when Jamie was preparing for the spelling bee, before Jessica was old enough to compete, her younger sister would spell test words faster than Jamie.
At South Kortright Central School, sixth-graders are required to participate in the school spelling bee, but Bobby Michael Williams never expected to win.
"I was very surprised to win," Bobby, 11, said. "I didn't even practice."
Bobby is now honing his spelling skills by memorizing all the words he can, but added that he can't even imagine going to Washington, D.C., to compete against 300 top-notch spellers.
Stacie Haynes, coordinator of enrichment services from Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego Board of Cooperative Educational Services, said she is looking forward to the regional bee.
"The spelling bee is highly anticipated and the kids have been working on it for months," Haynes said Thursday.
The DCMO BOCES is again teaming up with The Daily Star, the State University College at Oneonta and Otsego-Northern Catskills BOCES to present the competition.
Tanya Shalor, The Daily Star publisher, will be the spelling bee moderator and said she is excited about the event.
"We are ecstatic to continue this great community event that highlights the talents of our local students," Shalor said. "And The Daily Star is honored to sponsor the local regional winners trip to Washington to compete in the national event."
Shalor said everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the spelling bee.
Other participants and their schools include: Jesse Dedman, Afton; Zach Fitzgerald, Andes; Justin Daniels, Bainbridge-Guilford; Taylor Leisenring, Charlotte Valley; Nathan Van Dyke, Cherry Valley Springfield; Jack Siegel, Cooperstown; Quinn Taylor Kelley, Delhi; Jacob Bussiere, Downsville; Alexis Carpenter. Edmeston; Stephen Banks, Franklin; Autumn Butler, Gilbertsville Mt. Upton; John Joseph DiCorato, Jefferson; Chelsea Keator, Laurens; Brandon Cady, Morris; Sixta Robles, Norwich City Middle; Patsie Earle-Richardson, Oneonta City Schools; Lea Davis, Oxford; Abigail Adams, Roxbury; Bertha Miller, Schenevus; Brynn Davie, Sidney; Kyle Clayton Abrams, Unadilla Valley; Melanie Calabro, Unatego; Peter Phraner, Walton.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
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