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Durham's Spelling Bee Has a Three-Time Winner in Bettie Closs

Bettie Closs

It was a three-peat for Bettie Closs as the seventh grader at Lucas Middle School defeated 58 other contestants – including her sister and the 2012 champion – in the Duke-sponsored regional of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Saturday in Baldwin Auditorium.

Closs, who won in 2014 and 2015, spelling “catechistic” to clinch the title, defeating her sister Hanna in the finals, which reached 18 rounds.  Ned Swansey, the 2012 champion, went out three rounds earlier.

This was the seventh consecutive year that Duke’s Office of Durham and Regional Affairs has sponsored the spelling bee. The participants came from Durham and Orange county public, charter, private and homeschooled children. Closs will now advance to compete in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

Phail Wynn Jr., vice president of Duke’s Durham and Regional Affairs, served as the bee’s pronouncer while David Malone of Duke’s Program in Education and Sam Miglarese of Durham and Regional Affairs were judges.

Below: Bettie Closs watches as her sister Hannah competes in the final rounds of the spelling bee. Bottom, Ned Swansey, of Brogdon Middle School, correctly spells a word in the competition. Photos by Jonathan Young of JY Visuals. 

spelling bee

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