SAFFORD — The Gila Valley’s top speller won on a word even the Graham County Superintendent of Schools didn’t know.
Annabelle Gamez, of Safford Middle School, was crowned the Graham County Spelling Bee Champion Wednesday after she correctly spelled the words “mullioned” and “Penelope.”
It was the word “mullioned” that baffled many in the audience, including Graham County School Superintendent Donna McGaughey.
“This happens every year, and I’m so grateful that I’m not out there . . . having to spell them,” she said.
Mullioned is the decorative separation of a glass window pane by use of a vertical item.
The Bee went 10 rounds this year, with Gamez and Riley Ogden, from Solomon School, going head-to-head for six of those rounds. In three of the rounds, both Gamez and Ogden misspelled “mercenary,” “benighted” and “Sanskrit,” keeping the competition alive.
In the 10th round, Ogden stumbled on “mullioned,” which Gamez said she had studied before the event. She then correctly spelled “Penelope” to take the win.
Gamez said the Graham County Spelling Bee had different rules from her qualifying Bee, which forced her to change her process on the fly.
“At our middle school, they had us write the word down to spell it, and I couldn’t do that (tonight). So I had to write in my hand with my finger,” Gamez said.
Gamez said her plan for the Arizona State Spelling Bee is to study more words. If Gamez cannot attend the state Bee, Ogden will go as first runner-up.
The Arizona State Spelling Bee will take place March 18 at the Madison Center for the Arts in Phoenix. The winner there will qualify for the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee, May 30 and June 1, in National Harbor, Md.
