Lauderdale County students tested their spelling abilities during the 2023 spelling bee

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) -Students from Lauderdale County didn’t pull out their dictionaries, but they did pull out their brains for the county-wide spelling bee.

All of these students lined up to test their spelling skills in hopes of advancing to the statewide spelling bee. After hours of competition, there were four students left reaching for the finish line, but one word was left between winning and losing, and this student was prepared for it all.

“I was really excited, you know, it was like when you get up there, you don’t realize that like you know you’re getting up like higher and higher and like you know bigger trophy. I was just hoping, you know, maybe I can get this next one right and you just like in the moment just like, get to the next level.

“Well, I don’t really have like a certain strategy. I really just like to highlight the words that I just don’t immediately off the bat. You know I’m going to get that right. It’s just like you research the. Words that you don’t know, then just prepare with that,” said the Lauderdale County Spelling Bee winner, Alaina Lightsey.

Five people made it to the final rounds and were all awarded a trophy showing their achievements.

1st Place: Alaina Lightsey, West Lauderdale Middle School

2nd Place: Noah McCaffrey, West Lauderdale Middle School

3rd Place: Ananya Mantri, Northeast Middle School

4th Place: Reese Ann Gressett, Russell Christian Academy

5th Place: Tipton Simpson, Southeast Middle School

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