The Charlotte Observer
Comment on this story
Molly Crawford tried to imagine she was back home in Matthews, N.C. -- or anywhere other than a national stage with TV cameras pointed at her.But the 12-year-old couldn't spread her wings quite far enough in the third round of the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee. She stumbled on a word for a type of butterfly -- "fritillary." She spelled it with an 'e' instead of an 'a.' Still, the seventh-grader was pleased with finishing in the top third.Three students from North Carolina had been among the 90 who advanced to the quarterfinals from a pool of 288. Only one survived to spell in the semifinals today.Baron Fenwick of Todd, near Winston-Salem, is among 45 semifinalists remaining in the bee. If he wins, he would become the first North Carolina student to be crowned national spelling champ since 1970, and only the second in the bee's history.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.
Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.