’05 Champ Back for Another Bee: Gilbert Student to Vie With 21 for State Spelling Title

By Daryl James, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Mar. 31–Home-school student Jonathan Horton, 13, will try to keep a low profile Saturday at the state spelling bee in Tempe.

But that might be difficult. The Gilbert seventh-grader made waves last year when he won the state title and finished in a tie for 22nd place at the national bee in Washington, D.C.

His reputation already preceded him at the 2006 regional bee in Tempe, which Jonathan won when he correctly spelled “kibbutz” — a noun meaning a collective farm in Israel.

“You walk in, and you hear the gasps from the kids,” said Jonathan’s mother, Michelle Horton.

But she does not expect a free pass Saturday at the state bee, which will include some of the best spellers in the nation.

“The kids are really good in the state bee,” she said. “Every bee is a new bee, so anything can happen.”

The field of 22 elementary and middle school students will include six from the East Valley besides Jonathan.

Regardless of what happens Saturday, Jonathan already has another state title this year in a different subject.

He will be one of four students representing Arizona in the Math Counts national championship May 11-14 in Alexandria, Va.

State spelling bee When: 1 p.m. Saturday Where: KAET-TV (Channel 8) studio at ASU, Tempe Television: Highlights of the bee will be broadcast 5 p.m. April 23 on Channel 8 Information: (480) 421-9376

East Valley contestants

East Valley contestants The field of 27 contestants in the state spelling bee includes seven from East Valley schools. Student Age City School Katie Biegel 12 Mesa Stapley Junior High Ashley Gilmore 14 Scottsdale Mohave Middle Jonathan Horton 13 Gilbert Home school Brennyn Mackey 14 Apache Junction Home school Pooja Paode 11 Gilbert Shumway Elementary Snehashish Sridhar 11 Phoenix BASIS Scottsdale Shelley Xu 12 Chandler Santan Junior High SOURCE: Arizona Educational Foundation

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

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