The key to my success would be studying a lot and working hard.”Aliyah Ryan
CULLMAN – The 2016 (89th annual) Cullman County Spelling Bee was held on Monday night, Feb.1 at Temple Baptist Church in Cullman. Twenty-four third- to eighth-grade contestants from schools throughout Cullman County took the stage in hopes of taking home the title: 2016 Cullman County Spelling Bee Champion. Fifth-grader Aliyah Ryan from Welti Elementary came out on top.
During the event, four of the contestants were recognized for making their second appearance in the county-level competition. Those students were Ella Stephenson from Cold Springs Elementary, Brady Cleek from Hanceville Elementary, Claudia Fallin from Sacred Heart School and Briana Harshman from Vinemont Elementary.
The competition Monday night alternated between spelling and vocabulary words for the first six rounds, which eliminated 18 contestants. The next four “spelling only” rounds ended with Aliyah Ryan (Welti Elementary) and Olivia Kraft (West Elementary) battling it out through round 11 for the championship. Audience members sat on the edge of their seats as they watched the showdown that would eventually declare the winner.
In the end, it was Ryan who correctly spelled “strategy” to stay alive in the competition. The misspelling of “finesse” by her competitor led to the championship word in round twelve for Ryan.
“V-i-v-i-s-e-c-t-i-o-n,” she said, after taking a deep breath and watching the judges in anticipation. After spelling the word correctly, she was given the title: 2016 Cullman County Spelling Bee Champion!
Ryan advances to the state spelling bee competition to represent Cullman County in Birmingham on March 12.
What does a fifth-grader have to say about her big win?
“The key to my success would be studying a lot and working hard,” she said.
