Friday, Feb. 13, 2009

Kavya wins fourth straight district spelling bee

Something unusual happened Thursday at the Olathe District Spelling Bee.

Kavya Shivashankar misspelled a word.

She won her fourth straight district spelling title despite the mistake; she just had to spell two more words to earn it.

Ashwanth Samuel, a sixth-grader at Cedar Creek Elementary School, and Kavya were the last spellers going into the 16th round in the auditorium at Frontier Trail Junior High School.

Ashwanth, who started the round, misspelled "ikat," the Malaysian word for a fabric in which the yarns have been tie-dyed before weaving. Kavya had to spell that word and another word correctly to win.

A technique Kavya uses to help her spell is to write out the word with her index finger on the palm of her other hand. During her turn, her finger stopped writing as though something was wrong. For those who've followed Kavya's spelling career, it's unusual to see her hesitate at the microphone.

She looked up from her hand and said e-k-a-t, and a few people in the audience let out small gasps when the judge said Kavya was incorrect.

Kavya later said she knew the word, but hesitated and thought about whether the word began with "i" or "e". She chose the latter and gave Ashwanth another chance at the title.

The chance was short lived. Ashwanth misspelled the following word, "viga." Kavya then spelled that word and the next word, "Maerl," correctly for the win.

"She's never misspelled a word in (Olathe district) competition, " said Mirle Shivashankar, Kavya's father and spelling coach.

Ashwanth's runner-up finish was his best placement since he began competing in the district bee three years ago. He went out in the first round the first year and placed 10th last year.

"Getting second to Kavya is a great accomplishment," Samuel said.

He has two more years of eligibility and hopes to win next year.

Spellers Swetha Jasti, a fifth-grader at Arbor Creek Elementary School, placed third, and Sharma Snigdha, a seventh-grader at Pioneer Trail Junior High School placed fourth.

This year's 42-competitor bee lasted more than two hours. Although Kavya stumbled near the end, the competition at the district level was less intense than last year. Kavya and Erica Chang, a fifth-grader from Briarwood Elementary School, battled for 45 rounds, 34 of which included only the two girls.

Chang was a no show at this year's district bee.

Kavya is on her way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the fourth time. This is the last year the California Trail Junior High School eighth-grader is eligible to compete in the national bee because she will enter the ninth grade in August.

A competitor cannot compete in the national bee if he or she graduates the eighth grade before Feb. 1 the year of competition and/or turns 15 before Sept. 1 the year prior to a competition.

Kavya said she would continue to practice and quiz with her father until the national competition, which is May 26-28 in Washington, D.C.

She placed 10th her first year in the national bee at the age of 10. She tied for eighth place the following year and fourth place last year. National bee watchers have picked Kavya as one of the favorites to win this year.

The Olathe News will sponsor Kavya in the national bee.

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