RINCON — Seventeen students from elementary and middle schools throughout the Effingham County School District recently competed in the annual spelling bee at the Effingham College and Career Academy.

Elementary students included Bowden Virtue (Blandford Elementary School), Ansley Dean (Ebenezer Elementary School), Shay Coker (Guyton Elementary School), Meredith Clontz (Marlow Elementary School), Hailey Tuttle (Rincon Elementary School), Cambriah Davis (Sand Hill Elementary School), David Lane (South Effingham Elementary School) and Mason Brant (Springfield Elementary School).

Participants from middle schools included Preston Horton, Khylen Springfield and Evan Way from Ebenezer Middle School; Tatiyana Jackson and Nathan Hayes from Effingham County Middle School; Garrett Floyd from Rincon Learning Center; and Jalen Holt, Caleb Williams and JaMonica Williams from South Effingham Middle School.

After numerous rounds, including a vocabulary round, the contest was narrowed to two competitors — Coker and Way. As the rules provided, after a missed word, the finalist had to correctly spell the next two words. 

Way was able to successfully spell “carnivore” and “leotard” for the victory.

Way will represent the Effingham County School System at the District Spelling Bee on Feb. 23 at Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah. Coker will serve as system’s alternate representative.

Terri Johnson was the coordinator for the event and Robert Grant, director of Development for Junior Achievement, was the official “caller.”

Judging was provided by Carlett Fulcher, Dr. Melodie Fulcher and Wendy Porter from the Curriculum Department at the Effingham County Board of Education, as well as Dr. Barbara Prosser, CEO of the Effingham College and Career Academy.