Fil-Am, 11, tops Florida spell bee

ORLANDO, Florida – After one of the longest Central Florida spelling bees in recent history, 11-year-old Philippine-born Miguel Gatmaytan on Thursday last week won top honors – and a trip to the nation’s capital – with the word cossack.

The Ocala boy smiled, shook runner-up Sophie Jupillat’s hand, then sat down while his father and others rushed to take his photo. A few minutes later, the victory seemed to sink in.

"Yes!" he shouted, pumping his arms in the air.

Miguel, a sixth-grader at Osceola Middle School in Marion County, survived 38 rounds of spelling challenges and beat out 13 other competitors to win the 48th annual Central Florida bee.

The youngest regional spelling champion in more than a decade, Miguel’s victory earned him a spot in the National Spelling Bee in May.

"I feel awesome," Miguel said after he had been handed a trophy and prizes, which included $2,000 for travel expenses to Washington, DC.

After 24 rounds, Miguel and Sophie, the Lake County champion, were the last two spellers left, and they battled for the top spot.

Aplomb.

Basilica.

Fiefdom.

Pinnacle.

Adumbrate.

The two students took turns spelling them right, among other words, to go another 14 rounds.

Then Sophie misspelled vagary. She sat down, and Miguel returned to the microphone. Miguel spelled vagary correctly, then won when he also aced the word for a Russian peasant who served in the Czar’s cavalry: c-o-s-s-a-c-k.

Miguel said he had never entered a spelling bee before this school year but studied nightly once he decided to compete. His parents helped by drilling him on words they found in spelling books. He won the Marion County bee, continued studying for Thursday’s competition and said he plans to do even more for the national event.

The regional bee was held at the Orlando Sentinel, which sponsors the event. It featured winners and runners-up from eight Central Florida county spelling bees, though two contestants did not compete Thursday.

It took 21 rounds to whittle the competitors to a final four. Those four spellers included the youngest in the pack, nine-year-old Benjamin Rice from Port Orange Elementary in Volusia County. Benjamin spelled a long list of words correctly and brought smiles to the audience when one of them was precocious. He was knocked out in the 23rd round by reticence.

Kaitlyn Johnston, a student at The First Academy in Orange County, came in third. She tripped up on the word apparition in the 24th round.

Sophie, who is home-schooled, said the bee was "fun and nerve-wracking" and she hadn’t expected to place as high as second in the regional competition.

Miguel also said he was surprised by how well he did.

"I thought I was a good speller, but I never thought I’d win the district," he said.

Sophie had two chances to win when Miguel misspelled contrapuntal and, then in the next round, also missed plenary, but she also spelled both wrong.

Miguel’s father, Carlos, described his son as a voracious reader and straight-A student who always seemed to have a gift with words. The family moved to Florida from the Philippines three years ago, and the trip to Washington for the 80th national spelling bee will be Miguel’s first to the nation’s headquarters.

The national bee, sponsored by the newspaper firm the E.W. Scripps Co., is scheduled May 30 and 31. Last year, it included 274 spellers, all winners from regional bees. The 2006 national champion won with the word ursprache.

Wendy’s restaurants was a sponsor of the Central Florida bee, providing the contestants with prizes and giving $1,000 to the winner’s school. The Sentinel provides the travel money for the winner, among other gifts.- Orlando Sentinel