BY JOHN CONLEY

Associate Editor

Persistence paid off for Katelyn Sanders.

After finishing as runner-up in the Wyoming County Spelling Bee the last two years, the Oceana Middle School sixth grader stepped into the winner's circle last Wednesday.

"I study (the words) about an hour every night," said Sanders, who spelled "cajolery" to clinch the championship in the ninth round at Pineville Middle. "I've been close the last two years."

Kenny Blankenship, a fourth grader at Mullens Elementary was the runner-up.

Both Sanders and Blankenship will move on to the regional competition at Capital High School in Charleston in March. Should one of them be unable to participate, the alternate will be Chase Presley of Mullens Middle.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools James McGrady was the pronouncer. Judges were Loretta Rose, curriculum specialist, and Carolyn Cook, curriculum resource facilitater.

Joseph Stewart, Title I director, is the director of the spelling bee.

Participants in the bee are listed below.

Baileysville Elementary: Shane Hunt, winner; Morgan Thomas, runner-up.

Berlin McKinney Elementary: Colin Bowles, winner; Travis Cook, runner-up.

Glen Fork Elementary: John Tilley, winner; Leigh Cline, runner-up.

Herndon Consolidated: Savannah Lusk, winner; Kara Sandy, runner-up.

Huff Consolidated: Grayson Hatfield, winner; Ethan Stapleton, runner-up.

Mullens Elementary: Kenny Blankenship, winner; Kyndl Johnson, runner-up.

Pineville Elementary: Cameron Cook, winner; Hunter Cantrell, runner-up.

Road Branch Elementary: Dakota Tolliver, winner; Emily Chattin, runner-up.

Mullens Middle: Brian Whitt, winner; Chase Presley, runner-up.

Oceana Middle: Katelyn Sanders, winner; Jason Morgan, runner-up.

Pineville Middle: Jonathan Haynes, winner; Jake Cook, runner-up.