The 2023 Darke County Spelling Bee will be held at Romer’s Catering in Greenville on Thursday, Jan. 26 at noon. Thirty-two contestants will take the stage to determine the county’s best speller.
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Darke County ESC sponsors the county-wide spelling bee each year.
Darke County ESC Facebook page
By Dawn Hatfield
DailyAdvocate.com
DARKE COUNTY — The 2023 Darke County Spelling Bee, sponsored by Darke County ESC, will be held at Romer’s Catering in Greenville on Thursday, Jan. 26 at noon. Contestants and special guests will be treated to lunch beforehand, beginning at 11:15 a.m.
Spelling bees are a nearly 200-year-old tradition in this part of Ohio, with Babbel.com reporting that in 1831, the Jamestown Journal announced “a big spelling match in Covington, Ohio, at the High School, when the lad that stands longest on the floor and spells the biggest words without scratching his head is to receive a fine present.”
This year, we will see 32 young ladies and gentlemen compete for the title of best speller in the county. A big congratulations goes out to the competitors who scored the top spots in each of their local elementary or middle school contests. Contestants are listed in order of Jan. 26 spelling positions:
1. Carter Harbach of Franklin Monroe Junior High
2. Ashton Turpin of Arcanum Butler Middle School
3. Eli Hoffman of Bradford Junior High
4. Randy Tharp of Tri-Village Junior High
5. Tre Jones of Mississinawa Valley Junior High
6. Makayla Barga of Versailles Elementary
7. Malcolm Diegel of Ansonia Junior High
8. Eli Huffgarden of Arcanum Elementary
9. Ella Eshleman of Franklin Monroe Elementary
10. Corynn Goubeaux of Versailles Middle School
11. Kendall Rogers of Mississinawa Valley Elementary
12. Nick Swiger of Bradford Junior High
13. Landrey Huffman of Greenville Elementary/Middle School
14. Steven Francis of Greenville Junior High
15. Hailey Buddo of Mississinawa Valley Junior High
16. Hunter Eley of Arcanum Butler Middle School
17. Mason Imhoff of Franklin Monroe Elementary
18. Rachelle Rapier of Mississinawa Valley Elementary
19. Owen Bubeck of Bradford Elementary
20. Hallie Riffell of Arcanum Elementary
21. Dillon Hiestand of Versailles Middle School
22. Aleena Thomas of Tri-Village Elementary
23. Preston Cottrell of Franklin Monroe Junior High
24. Raider Cela of Tri-Village Elementary
25. Adrianna Nixon of Ansonia Elementary
26. Pacey Miller of Greenville Elementary/Middle School
27. Audrey Ward of Versailles Elementary
28. Jocelin Smith of Greenville Junior High
29. Cyrus Matthieu of Bradford Elementary
30. Abe Hibner of Ansonia Elementary
31. Americus Hirsch of Tri-Village Junior High
32. Michael Shook of Ansonia Junior High
