Catherine Faimon | Publisher

OSAGE CITY-Meredith Foulke, a seventh-grader from Overbrook, has won the 2009 Osage County Spelling Bee. Depending on one’s beliefs about superstition, the number 13 did come into play for Meredith, who spelled 13 words correctly, ousting 13 co-competitors Friday the 13th, at the Osage City School gym. Two students from each of the seven county schools participated.

In the 10th and final round, Meredith went head-to-head with Emilie Thomas, a seventh-grader from Burlingame. Meredith spelled “silhouette,” then Emilie missed “brilliance,” which Meredith was asked to spell. She nailed it, and went on to clinch the win by correctly spelling “condescend.”

Foulke and Thomas are eligible to compete in the regional spelling bee March 14 in Topeka. Their parents are Gary and Shelley Foulke and Danny and Stacie Thomas, respectively.

“I am a very visual speller,” Meredith said, when asked about her method of practice. “I have to see it before I spell it.” As she stood at the microphone during competition, onlookers watched as she used her finger to write the word on her forearm. This was her second appearance at the county bee, previously competing as a fourth grade student.

“I like to read a lot,” Emilie said, attributing her success to being a bookworm.

Shortly before the contest began, Osage City Elementary School Principal Dwight Stoppel welcomed all in attendance.

“This is Osage City’s first county bee. We want to make it special like it should be,” he said.

Next, each student introduced him or herself, whereupon pronouncer Marcia Wischropp called a practice round. In Round 1, all spellers were successful.

Round 2 eliminated two students, followed by one more each in rounds three and four. Following Round 7, only four spellers remained. The words “statistician” and “commission” eliminated the third and fourth place finishers in Round 9.

Besides Foulke and Thomas, other contestants were Lauren Hobart, sixth grade, and Taylor Ostrander, eighth grade, from Carbondale Attendance Center; Jessica Lewis, seventh grade, Burlingame Jr. High; Matthew Maxhimer, fifth grade, and Nathalia Bryant, sixth grade, from Lyndon Elementary/Middle School; Adrienne Graika, seventh grade, and Mary Warner, Marais des Cygnes Valley Elementary/Middle School; Kingham Johnson, eighth grade, and Aundrea Koger, sixth grade, Osage City Elementary/Middle School; Carli Erickson, sixth grade, Overbrook; Drae Massey, seventh grade, and Mandy Watson, sixth grade, from Scranton Attendance Center.

This year’s judges were Kathy Reed, Brian Stromgren and Gilbert Gonsalez.