Cameron McKnight
The crowd and students listen intently to Dr. Nokes at the spelling bee.
The Crosby Theatre at Troy University was full of excitement on Thursday as 57 young spellers from schools across Pike County gathered for the Scripps Spelling Bee.
This year’s event was extra special, marking the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the competition that has inspired students nationwide for a century.
Students from grades first through eighth participated in the event, showing off their spelling skills in front of family, friends and members of their community. With so much talent in the room, the stage was set.
Maddox Hollan, an English Education Major at the university, shared her favorite part of volunteering with the spelling bee.
“Just seeing the look on the kids’ faces when they get a word right or seeing their parents show up to support them, it’s just really awesome,” Hollan said. “It’s about more than just spelling.
“It’s about seeing these kids succeed and knowing the whole community is behind them.”
The spelling bee was made up of five initial rounds that dwindled the number of kids down from 57 until it came down to two students: Nylah Teague from Banks School and Able Dahli from Troy Elementary School.
It took another five rounds to crown the winner. Dahli and Teague had to spell their word correctly while the other had to misspell their word. They would have to spell the incorrect word and spell one final word correctly to take home first place.
The two went back and forth and were faced with several difficult words that they just weren’t able to spell correctly. The words from the final round consisted of astringent, asylum, inclement and annuity. It was Teague that spelled annuity correctly and advanced to the championship word – bellwether. Teague was able to spell the final word and won the Pike County Spelling Bee.
“It feels amazing to not only have been able to compete with my friends but to also win,” Teague said with a grin. “My heart is racing; I was really nervous, and I didn’t think I was going to win.
“It’s crazy that this spelling bee has been going on for 100 years, and I’m just really proud to have won. I can’t wait to represent my school at the state spelling bee.”
Teague’s victory wasn’t just a personal achievement — it was a moment of pride for her school and her family and friends who came to support her. Her win earned her a spot at the state spelling bee, where she’ll have the chance to compete against the best spellers in Alabama.
“She worked really hard for this, and there were moments when she wanted to give up before she got to where she is now,” Teague’s mother said. “We’re all just so proud of her and can’t wait to see her compete at the state level,”
Though Teague’s name was called as the winner, every child who participated had reason to be proud. The competition wasn’t just about who took home first place — it was about how each student pushed themselves to do their best, supported by their families and the community.
“I didn’t win, but I’m glad I made it this far,” Dahli said, speaking about his second-place trophy. “I’m going to work hard and come back next year and hopefully do a lot better.”
Teague will go on to the state spelling bee in Birmingham, Alabama to compete for a spot at the national spelling bee that takes place in May in Washington, DC.
“I’m really excited for what’s next,” Teague said. “I can’t wait to see what the state spelling bee will be like, but right now, I’m proud to have represented my school and my county in this competition.”
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