Participants in the 2023 Piqua City-Wide Spelling Bee pose for parents at the conclusion of the event at Piqua Central Intermediate School on Tuesday. Participating were, (in program order) Olivia Hudgel and Benton Verrill from Piqua Catholic; Kinsley Thomas and Ruby Dawson from Piqua Central; Jonathon Huelskamp and Dylan Baker from Piqua Junior High; Jasmine Guinto and Dylan Hazeltine from Springcreek; and Zoe Thomas and Kobyn Hayes representing Washington.
Mike Ullery | Miami Valley Today
PIQUA — The Piqua City Schools held the 2023 City-Wide Spelling Bee on Tuesday evening at Piqua Central Intermediate School.
Ten students, representing five schools, took part in the event that is sponsored by the Piqua Kiwanis Club.
Participants came to the event ready for the challenge and it took five rounds before anyone was eliminated.
By round 18, only two spellers were left, Jonathon Huelskamp, the reigning Spelling Bee Champion at Piqua Junior High School, and Olivia Hudgel, the Piqua Catholic Spelling Bee winner.
The final round was round 19, and it was Huelskamp, a seventh-grader, who emerged as the victor.
Huelskamp’s “secret” to his Spelling Bee success is to study. “I study words that are hard that we don’t even get to,” said Huelskamp.
The event’s sponsor, the Piqua Kiwanis Club, has been sponsoring the Spelling Bee for more than 25 years, according to Gretchen Roeth, who was in attendance on Tuesday.
“It is so exciting seeing kids at this age study hard, work hard,” said Roeth, “we are proud of them.”
