From left, third place winner Charli Wallace of Creekland MS; Joli Palmquist, first place, Mill Creek MS; and second place winner Rohan Pandya of ET Booth MS.
Mill Creek Middle School eighth-grader Joli Palmquist correctly spelled “ascension” and then “importunate” to claim the title as the county’s top speller at the 2023 Cherokee County School District Spelling Bee Wednesday night at Cherokee High School. Rohan Pandya of ET Booth MS captured second, and Charli Wallace of Creekland MS placed third.
Thirty Cherokee County students put their spelling skills to the test in the annual competition, which went 15 rounds over 90 minutes with over 200 words before a winner was decided. Spellers tackled tricky terms like "indefatigable," "quittance" and "zoolatry."
All three students will advance to the regional Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) bee, which will be held next month. State winners advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee held in Washington, DC in June.
The county spelling bee is sponsored each year by Cherokee County Association of Educators and the Georgia Association of Educators. Bekki Couch is the GAE Spelling Bee Coordinator; Dr. John Carter of Teasley MS served as caller of the words. Judges included Tiffany Robbins, Bekki Couch and Jennifer Campbell.
School level winners were:
| Arnold Mill Elementary |
Mason Kuhn
|
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Avery Elementary
|
Dylan Decker
|
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Ball Ground STEM Academy
|
Cameron Curry
|
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Bascomb Elementary
|
Vivian Rivera
|
|
Boston Elementary
|
Ethan Keodouangdy
|
|
Carmel Elementary
|
Isaac McLemore |
|
Clark Creek STEM Academy
|
Miller Inthirathvongsy
|
|
Clayton Elementary
|
Mitchell Lard
|
|
Creekland Middle
|
Charli Wallace |
|
Dean Rusk Middle
|
Dahl Roth
|
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E.T. Booth Middle
|
Rohan Pandya
|
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Free Home Elementary
|
Hudson Wyatt
|
|
Freedom Middle
|
Logan Johnson |
|
Hasty Fine Arts Academy
|
Tristan Castillejos
|
|
Hickory Flat Elementary
|
Julianna Twitchell |
|
Holly Springs STEM Academy
|
Gracelyn Chettiar
|
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Indian Knoll Elementary
|
Taylor Baker
|
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Johnston Elementary
|
Caroline Tietz
|
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Knox STEM Academy
|
Bennett McGovern
|
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Liberty Elementary
|
Etienne McNeil
|
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Little River Elementary
|
Fiona Martinez
|
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Macedonia Elementary
|
Alice Feng
|
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Mill Creek Middle
|
Joli Palmquist
|
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Mountain Road Elementary
|
Evelyn Higginbotham
|
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Oak Grove STEAM Academy
|
Tara Fowler
|
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R.M. Moore STEM Academy
|
Kenzie Jones
|
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Sixes Elementary
|
Hailey Holton |
|
Teasley Middle
|
Cole Mizelle
|
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Woodstock Elementary
|
Nathan Nguyen
|
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Woodstock Middle
|
Charlie Lamar
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