The bee started with 12 competitors – four representatives from each grade. To earn a seat at the all-school spelling bee, students had to win the in-class contests that were held during their English classes.

Each speller received one word per round, and at the end of the early rounds, students who misspelled their word were dismissed back into the audience. Per standard spelling bee rules, after receiving the word, a speller could ask for the definition, the origin, or to have the word used in a sentence. Spellers were also required to say the word, spell it, then say it again.

As the rounds went on, the words became increasingly challenging. The words prestigious, guttural, and deferential ended the hopes of several students in round three.

Only three spellers remained at the start of round four, but the field was quickly reduced to the final two spellers. Waters and Reese Kurtz ’32 battled through three more rounds, neither missing a beat despite the added difficulty.

Waters then had an opportunity to seal the win in the eighth round after Reese faltered on the word sporadic. Waters spelled his next word correctly, but then missed an e in the word foreseeable. This kept Reese in the contest and resulted in the start of a new round.

However, the opportunity for victory quickly presented itself to Waters in in the next round when Reese misspelled her word. After correctly spelling compassionate, Waters received one final word for the win – crematorium – which he calmy and confidently spelled, earning himself back-to-back titles in the bee.

Kurek now advances to the regional Anne Arundel County Spelling Bee.