A WAY WITH WORDS: TOP SPELLERS NAMED

Garrick Tam of Hawthorne Elementary is named the champion after tackling ‘geodesic’ in APS’ district-wide spelling bee.

Albuquerque Public Schools crowned its three top finishers out of a field of 78 final contestants over nine rounds in the district-wide spelling bee Thursday night in the Performing Arts Center at Cibola High School in Albuquerque. The winning word — “geodesic” spelled correctly by Garrick Tam — means “constructed in the form of a dome or vault made of light straight structural elements largely in tension,” and also “relating to the shortest possible line between two points on a sphere or other curved surface.” This year’s top three were:

Tam, Hawthorne Elementary, first place

Benjamin Ramsey, Monte Vista Elementary, second place

Katie Tran, Petroglyph Elementary, third place

All three qualify for the statewide New Mexico Spelling Bee coming up in March in Albuquerque, and that winner will qualify for the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee May 28 through June 4.

Dr. Joseph Escobedo, Lawren McConnell and Laura Valdez acted as judge of the event.

Individual school spelling bees were completed before the winter break, followed by all district-wide bees to be finished by the end of this month in preparation for the statewide event in March.

For more information on the New Mexico Spelling Bee, contact coordinator Karen Kehe at kkehe@abqpubco. com or by calling 505-249-2724.

Children from across the country have participated in school, local and regional bees since 1925, with an ultimate goal making it to the nationally televised Scripps Bee in Washington, D.C. Organizers expect about 11 million students — from the smallest to largest events — to participate in spelling bees in 2017.

JIM THOMPSON/JOURNAL Jolene Cole-Holpp from Bellehaven Elementary takes her turn in the first round of the APS Spelling Bee held at Cibola High School on Thursday night.

The top three finishers of the APS Spelling Bee on Thursday were: Garrick Tam, center, of Hawthorne Elementary, in first place; Benjamin Ramsey, left, from Monte Vista Elementary, in second; and Katie Tran, third place, of Petroglyph Elementary.

Garrick Tam from Hawthorne Elementary spells “geodesic” to win first place in the championship round of the APS Spelling Bee held at Cibola High School Thursday night.

Olivia Raine Garcia, center, of Harrison Middle School, looks a little anxious as students move into the second round of Thursday night’s spelling bee.