HOPE – The Hope Academy of Public Service continued its dominance of the Hempstead County Spelling Bee as a HAPS student won the overall title for the seventh year.
\r\nHAPS seventh grade student Addison McEuen will represent Hempstead County at the state spelling been in Little Rock on March 13 after bringing the title to HAPS, again.\r\n
\r\nMcEuen and Spring Hill eighth grade champion Gabe Fugitt fought it out for a second year and Fugitt will represent Hempstead County as alternate should McEuen not be able to participate in the state meet.\r\n
\r\nBoth McEuen and Fugitt won at their respective grade levels to compete for the overall championship.\r\n
\r\nWinners by grade in the county competition were:\r\n
\r\nOverall champion – Addison McEuen, seventh grade, HAPS.\r\n
\r\nOverall alternate – Gabe Fugitt, eighth grade, Spring Hill.\r\n
\r\nOverall vocabulary – Layla Cantwell, seventh grade, Spring Hill.\r\n
\r\nEighth grade first runner up – Cherish Thomas, HAPS.\r\n
\r\nSeventh grade first runner up – Sadie Knoll, Garrett Memorial Christian School.\r\n
\r\nSixth grade winner – Aiden Chambless, Spring Hill.\r\n
\r\nFifth grade winner – Harmony Rogers, Beryl Henry Elementary School.\r\n
\r\nFourth grade winner – Ariyona Liggon, Clinton Primary School.\r\n
\r\nSponsored locally by the Southwest Arkansas Educational Cooperative, the countywide spelling bee was affected this year by the COVID-19 health crisis and converted to an online competition format.\r\n
\r\nThe annual competition is sponsored statewide by The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in conjunction with the Scripps National Spelling Bee, sponsored by the E. W. Scripps Co. The Little Rock newspaper has sponsored the contest statewide since 1992.\r\n
\r\nThe competition is limited to students under age 16 who have not advanced beyond the eighth grade.\r\n
HAPS spellers in the Hempstead County Spelling Bee included, back row left to right, Cherish Thomas, first place eighth grade; Miley Hall, and Addison McEuen, repeat Hempstead County champion; and, front left to right, Brianna McLaughlin, Mackynzie Carrigan and Lizeth Gallardo. -- Hope Public Schools