After a grueling competition that lasted 15 rounds, Wes Underwood, 13, an eighth-grade student at Samuel Guy Pinder All Age School in Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, was yesterday named the winner of the 26th Annual Bahamas National Spelling Bee (BNSB) Final Competition.

The competition, which was held at Breezes Bahamas resort, saw 24 contestants from around The Bahamas battle for the prestigious title.

"I feel shocked," said Wes after claiming the crown. "I really didn't think I'd win. I studied a lot. I just didn't want to let myself down. I didn't put my expectations too high."

Both Wes and Maria Sanchez of St Andrew's International School were originally eliminated in round 10, but were both invited to compete in the following round after Ty Williams, of Genesis Academy, misspelled his word during that round.

After rejoining the competition, Wes — whose winning word was "syntrophism", which means, "a biological relationship in which microorganisms of two different species or strains are mutually dependent on one another for nutritional requirements"— sat through a nerve-racking spell-off between Maria and Ty, the respective second and third-place winners.

Wes, who said he is excited to go to the United States to participate in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, explained how he prepared for yesterday's competition.

"Plenty words," he said. "We (he and his coach) went over words like every day - plenty, plenty studying."

His coach, Bevil Clarke, noted that it had been a "journey" to yesterday's competition.

"From day one, we had a strategy," Clarke said.

"It was quite hectic balancing work and training. Every day, we tried to push in at least 50 words; it was quite a journey. I'm grateful to God for this moment."

Clarke, who noted that preparation began from as early as September of last year, said he is looking forward to working extra hard to get Wes prepared for this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee.

"We will be stepping up," Clarke said.

"We will have to go more forceful because what I find is that time has really been pushing against us. So, my strategy is to really double-up our efforts and actually access more of the online resources.

"To be from a small school, a small Family Island, Samuel Guy Pinder All Age School, and we have reached to this top, it has really been a moment of joy for me.

"I cannot really contain my emotions at this time. I'm so happy to God for bringing us thus far and I pray as we go on, we will continue to get that strength to push on, and I'm depending on his mom to be that guide and support network with me."

Wes' mom, Natalia Underwood, reacted to the win, saying, "I'm extremely proud of him.

"He's worked very hard. He's been in the spelling bee since grade one, so he's not a newcomer to it, but it's his first time here (at the Bahamas National Spelling Bee Final Competition).

"I always want to hope for the best, but like Wes said, don't get my expectations too high, but still hope that the challengers do their best, and he did."

When asked what he will do differently to prepare for Scripps, Wes said, "I might study more."

Despite yesterday's competition being the last for which she is eligible, second-place winner, Maria Sanchez, 14, who competed in last year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, said she is proud of herself.

"I prepared a lot - day and night, sleepless nights; I worked really hard," Maria said.

"I felt very nervous, like there was a lot of pressure to do really good, but I am very proud; I pulled through."

As a participant of multiple national spellings bees, Maria's advice to future participants it "to just enjoy it".

And rounding out the top three, with a third-place win, was 11-year-old Ty Williams.

As for his most challenging part of the competition, Ty said, "The end part because all the words were based on luck and how good you know your language."

That round was the vocabulary component where judges provided the word and the spellers had to choose its correct definition.

Thus, while he did admit that his nervousness grew as the competition drew near, Ty noted that he, too, is proud of himself and said he is "still thinking about" whether he will enter next year's national spelling bee.

Also in attendance at yesterday's spelling bee was four-time BNSB champion and two-time Scripps National Spelling Bee participant Roy Seligman, of Lyford Cay International School, who served as co-moderator.

Roy, who made history for The Bahamas by finishing the 2021 Scripps Bee tied for fourth place with three other spellers, described yesterday's competition as "exhilarating".

Scripps' Spelling Bee Week takes place from May 28 to June 2 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbour, Maryland.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian