‘It was nerve-wracking.’ Two spellers battle for six rounds in Broward Spelling Bee
After he won the Miami Herald Spelling Bee on Wednesday, Lancaster Gramer credited his lucky charm, which he ate right before the competition: strawberries.
When the judge green-lighted his final word — “succès fou,” which means an extraordinary success, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary — as “correct,” Lancaster closed his eyes and grabbed his mane of curls. He fell on his knees, covering his mouth and nose with his hands.
“It was a surprise,” said Lancaster, 11. “In second grade, I came but lost. I’m very excited. I’ve never been in a plane before.”
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As the winner of the 83rd Miami Herald Spelling Bee in Broward County, held at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, Lancaster will head to National Harbor, Maryland, in about three months to compete in the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee, a multi-day competition held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Finals will be broadcast on television June 1.
His mom, Maxine Williams, said Lancaster, who wore a black long-sleeve shirt that read “KEEP SMILING” over a colorful flower, had asked his family to start saving money in case he won.
“Now I’m taking out a loan if I have to!” she said, beaming. “I’m stoked!”
“I’m so proud of him,” said his brother, Kenneth Gramer.
Lancaster, a fifth-grader at Franklin Academy, a charter school in Cooper City, will face more than 200 spellers from across the country in a few months. The ultimate champion will walk away with a cash prize, a medal, Encyclopedia Britannicas and a Scripps Cup, the official trophy. Last year, the winner won $52,500.
The Miami Herald sponsors the Broward Bee and another for Miami-Dade and Monroe students every year. Students from first grade to eighth grade at public schools, charter schools, private schools and those home schooled participate.
‘I’m really proud of myself too’
The Broward Bee moved quickly. Competitors slid the microphone up and down as the young ones, about 8 years old and 3 feet tall, handed off the mic to students up to 14 years of age who towered well past 5 feet.
In the crowd, parents, guardians and educators sat at the edge of their seats. A group held up a yellow-and-black sign that read “’Bee’lieve in yourself.” After a girl was eliminated, someone from the audience shouted out: “You go, girl!”
The competition came down to two out of the 26 finalists: Mikayla Areopagita, 12, and Lancaster. They battled alone for six of the 12 total rounds.
They volleyed challenging words back and forth like tournedo, a small fillet of beef usually cut from the tip of the tenderloin; Jungian, related to psychologist Carl Gustav Jung or his psychological concepts; and Gaspesian, relating to the people and peninsula in southeastern Quebec, Canada.
“It was nerve-wracking,” said Mikayla, a seventh-grader at NSU University School, a private school in Davie, who placed second.
“She kept getting word after word right,” Lancaster said. “It was amazing.”
At the end, Lancaster bounced on his feet and stepped from side to side, then forwarded the mic and won.
Mikayla wore black-buckled patent leather shoes and a white dress. When she left the stage, her mom hugged her and told her, “Oh my God, I’m so proud of you!”
“I didn’t actually expect to get this far,” she said. “I’m really proud of myself too.”
Rafael Kazazian, a seventh-grader at Pinecrest School, the private school in Fort Lauderdale, came in third.
