Hales Corners girl wins Badger State Spelling Bee
MONONA, Wis. (AP) – Fourteen-year-old Kara Walla of Hales Corners won the 2008 Badger State Spelling Bee to advance to the national bee, in which both her father and an aunt previously participated.
The teenager who is home-schooled by her parents with her four siblings finished first at Monona Grove High School by correctly ampicillin, an antibiotic.
Her father, Wade, placed ninth in the Scripps National Spelling Bee during 1982 representing Montana, and her aunt, Theresa Walla, came in 27th in the national contest during 1976.
Before ampicillin, Kara correctly spelled the Greek word echinoderm, a category of marine animal which 12-year-old Sam Maki of Owen had missed. Natalie LaPointe of Bayfield placed third.
Other top finishers:
-- Mary Wachuta, 14, St. Patrick’s School, Sparta, fourth.
-- Kelsey R. Schlosser, 12, John Murie Middle School, Wausau, fifth.
-- Vivian Jiang, 11, Glen Park School, New Berlin, sixth.
-- Wilson Gheen, 13, Viking Middle School, Baldwin, seventh.
-- Austin Doro, 14, Berlin Middle School, Berlin, eighth.
-- Grace Vosen, 13, Glacier Creek School, Cross Plains, ninth.
-- Anusha Ramaswami, 11, Kromrey Middle School, Middleton, 10th.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.