Isaiah Wicoff survived Tuesday as his fellow competitors bowed out of the annual Iola Middle School spelling bee.
Wicoff secured the 2013 IMS spelling crown by correctly spelling “extant.”
He earned a trophy for his accomplishment.
His primary competitor, seventh-grader Zach Cokely, bowed out in the eighth round by misspelling “subsequent.”
Both spellers, along with sixth-grader Elijah Luedke, will advance to the Allen County Spelling Bee Feb. 1 at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
Luedke made it to the seventh round before bowing out with the word “fantastically.”
Twenty-three students competed in the IMS bee. Twenty advanced past the first round, 15 past the second and 11 past the third.
Eighth-grader Zane Beasley took fourth place and is the school’s alternate competitor if any of the top three cannot make it to the county bee. Beasley was eliminated in the sixth round by misspelling “advocate.”
Wicoff is the brother of five-time defending county spelling bee champion Clara Wicoff and the son of Iolans Joel and Lisa Wicoff.
Wicoff wins IMS spelling bee
