The first word was “blink” and the last word was “bobadil.”
With that correctly spelled final word, meaning a cowardly braggart, Claudio Ardanese was declared winner of this year’s Oakland Schools Scripps Regional Spelling Bee at the Oakland School Conference Center on Saturday.
Ardanese, 13, an 8th grader at Berkshire Middle School in Birmingham, spelled “chamade,” a 17th century drum or trumpet signal calling for an enemy to parley or surrender. It followed Jonathan Oatley, an 8th grader from Ferndale Middle School, who incorrectly spelled “condottiere,” a leader or member of a troop of mercenaries.
When asked by Bee Pronouncer Andrea Zellner if he was ready for his championship word, Ardanese jokingly said “no,” but correctly spelled “bobadil.”
He began the day as one of 86 Oakland County students in grades 5 through 8 looking to win the county spelling contest and qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. By the end of the second round the field had been winnowed to 34. That number was cut in half after the third round, and at the end of the fifth round only four spellers remained..
Robin Knoppe, a 5th grader from Agbu Alex-Marie Manoogian School in Southfield, and Maximillian Lee, an 8th grader from the Dr. Joseph F. Pollack Academic Center of Excellence in Southfield, failed to spell their words leaving only Ardanese and Oatley standing in the sixth round.
Runner-up Jonathan Oatley from Ferndale Middle School listens to a word given to him by Bee Pronouncer Andrea Zellner. In round 10 he incorrectly spelled cinquedea, an Italian word for civilian short sword or long dagger.
photo by Matt Fahr
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Oatley had a chance to win after correctly spelling “nystagmus,” a condition characterized by involuntary, rapid and repetitive movement of one or both eyes, but misspelled “indienne,” a term referring to 17th–19th century painted or printed lightweight cotton fabrics imported from India.
The pair missed their next three words before Ardanese correctly spelled his final two words.
Ardanese said he prepared for the competition by studying daily using a word app and also studying with family and classmates.
“I used the word app a lot on my computer and studied for a few hours a day, and studied words in the (Scripps) binder that we get from school,” he said.
He also had the same goal as most kids when they stepped on stage Saturday in front of a room full of family and friends: get one word right.
“I am relieved and happy now, but in the beginning I was going to be happy if I didn’t go out in the first round,” said Ardanese, whose opening word was “sword.”
Ardanese’s advantage going into the competition is that he speaks both French and Italian.
Seven students began round five. Only four would move on to the next round with words randomly chosen from the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Photo by Matt Fahr
“ ‘Chamade’ is a French word and I knew that one immediately and I smiled,” he said. “Knowing two languages helped, but studying and help from my family was important, too.”
He said he will only take a short break before diving back into his study routine before the national bee in May at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
“I might take a two or three day break and then stay with what I have been doing and start studying again,” he said. “I tried my best here and I am going to try my best there.”