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Wednesday, February 18, 2009 10:01 PM CST
Lack of practice doesn't hurt winner of Cumberland bee



NEOGA — A sometimes voracious appetite for books helped fuel Michael Baker’s victory Wednesday morning in the Cumberland County Spelling Bee, although the Neoga eighth grade student confessed he avoided formal practice for the contest at Neoga Junior-Senior High School.

“Not at all,” Baker said when asked if he spent time getting ready for the county bee.

The 13-year-old son of James and Jane Baker of Neoga advanced to the regional bee March 21 at Millikin University in Decatur after correctly spelling “mascot.”

Wednesday’s bee featured a total of five students: three from Cumberland Elementary-Junior High and two from Neoga. It lasted eight rounds.

Morgan James, son of Stacy James of Greenup, placed second. In the seventh round, the eighth grade student from the Cumberland school misspelled “mathematics.”

After clarifying the pronunciation of the word “electoral,” Baker rattled off its correct spelling to win that round. Then he provided the letters in “mascot” just as quickly to claim the whole competition.

Baker, who turns 14 on Friday, said he had not participated in a spelling bee since the third grade, and even then it was “just a school thing.”

Although he did not review for the bee Wednesday, he was prepared for the words that came his way. “I don’t know, they weren’t very hard words,” Baker said.

He said he consumes as many as four books per week, but he is not a huge fan of writing.

Also vying for Cumberland County crown Wednesday were Amanda Dill, seventh grade, Cumberland; Monte Wolke, sixth grade, Cumberland; and Courtney Croy, seventh grade, Neoga.

Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.


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CLICK TO ENLARGE
Participants in the Cumberland County Spelling Bee joke around before the first round Wednesday at Neoga Junior-Senior High School. From left to right are Amanda Dill, Morgan James, Michael Baker and Monte Wolke. Baker won the bee. Nathaniel West/Staff


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