Two-time Champion

ByAmanda Compton-Ortiz, Special to DeSoto Appeal
Posted January 24, 2010

Photo by Kyle Kurlick/The Commercial Appeal Patrick Dockery receives a congratulatory hug from his mother, Donna, after winning the DeSoto County spelling bee on Saturday.

Thirty-eight of DeSoto County's brightest students battled it out with words Saturday in the school district's longest-running spelling bee in history.

It took 20 rounds to decide this year's annual district spelling bee champion, Sacred Heart School seventh-grader Patrick Dockery.

This is the second consecutive district victory for the 12-year-old, who last year out-spelled a field of 48 competitors in 13 rounds before moving on to earn first place in the Mid-South spelling bee, earning a chance to compete on the national level in Washington.

Dockery said he's dedicating this year's district-level win to two of his favorite teachers, Candace Lovelace and the late Ken Sanders, whom he credits his love for words and enthusiasm for the competition.

"I wanted to win this bee for them," he said. "They have really supported me and encouraged me to continue to compete and do my best."

Dockery has a family history of spelling bee success. His sister, Sacred Heart eighth-grader Mary Kate, whom he edged out in the 18th round of this year's bee by correctly spelling "trammel," took second place alongside him in last year's district competition. And Dockery's brother, Lawrence, earned the top spot in the district's 2008 spelling bee competition.

Photo by Kyle Kurlick/The Commercial Appeal Runnerup Melinique Walls figures out the spelling of her word at the DeSoto County spelling bee.

"We had some more great spellers again this year," said district spelling bee coordinator Sheila Riley.

District Superintendent Charlie Alexander added, "We had to increase the level of difficulty twice to challenge our students. They did great."

Dockery won Saturday's bee in Hernando in the 20th and final round with the correct spelling of "smorgasbord," after beating out some fierce competition during the bee's last half as the field of competitors was narrowed to just four by the 10th round.

The final four students competed tirelessly for eight consecutive rounds until Dockery's sister, Mary Kate, and SBEC seventh-grader Lyndsay Bramlitt were eliminated in round 18 by incorrectly spelling "cellophane" and "itinerary," respectively.

In the end, the competition was decided in the 19th round as Horn Lake Middle School eighth-grader Melinique Walls claimed second place in the competition with the incorrect spelling of "obsolescence." Dockery pushed himself into the last round with the correct spelling of "rhinoplasty."

Dockery and Walls will go on to the Mid-South spelling bee in Memphis in early March where they will vie for a chance to compete nationally in the spring.

Click here for other recent Commercial Appeal articles featuring Sacred Heart School students.

Copyright, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN. Used with permission. (http://www.commercialappeal.com)