WASHINGTON - A 13-year-old New Jersey girl making her fifth straight appearance at the Scripps National Spelling Bee rattled off "ursprache" to claim the title of America's best speller on prime-time television Thursday night. Katharine Close, an eighth-grader at the H.W. Mountz School in Spring Lake, N.J., is the first girl since 1999 to win the national spelling title. She stepped back from the microphone and put her hands to her mouth upon being declared the winner. "I'm just in shock," Katharine said. Asked what she'll remember most, Asked what she'll remember most, she said: "Probably just hearing 'Ursprache,' which is a parent language." She recognized the word as soon as she heard it.
Can you believe they even had instant replay. The kid from the Houston Area was eliminated "on further review"!! He spelled his word so softly they couldn't understand it clearly, but when they did Instant Replay and turned up the volume it was clear he misspelled his word.
Did one of the parents throw out the red flag? :lol: BTW, she cleared $42,000 for her efforts.....does that take away her amateur status? :wink:
Mountz School is about three miles from where I'm sitting. It was in the bag, all the way..... By the way, if any of you bums laid bets on this you better pay off. I get three points a day.