Wednesday, Sep. 08, 2010

Holly Springs girl wins bee

Emma Breslin and her mother, Danielle, were thinking of spending Aug. 28 at the Scholastic Book Fair. Instead, they went to a spelling bee - and came away with a $150 Scholastic gift card and a chance at a trip to Jamaica.

By correctly spelling"y-a-c-h-t," Emma, 10, won the Macy's Spelling Bee, a competition that attracted 50 spellers 8, 9 and 10 years old to the Macy's at Crabtree Valley.

The tense competition went 10 rounds before coming down to the final two. Even as Emma accepted the audience's applause, she said later, she was nervous. It showed.

"She looks like she's going to throw up," said her mother, who had been pacing between the store displays herself.

Saturday was Emma's first "official" spelling bee, Danielle Breslin said. Besides the Scholastic card she took home a year's worth of online tutoring from Kaplan Tutoring, a trophy and a signed photo of the Carolina Hurricanes.

She also won a trip to New York City for the national finals, where bigger prizes - including that Jamaica trip - will be on the line.

This was the second year the Crabtree Valley Macy's has held a spelling bee, said Tori Holly, the general manager. It's among several special events organized by the chain's home office that local stores can pick from.

"Education is a very important part of the Triangle," Holly said. "We though this would be a great event for this area."

Besides parents and siblings, some store customers and employees were avid spectators through the early rounds. With Internet, radio and newspaper advertising, the contest drew from far and wide.

Nine-year-old Ryyan Pritchett of Greensboro was scared at first, said her dad, Chris.

"But she said, 'OK,'" he said. Giving her best effort would make her a winner whatever the outcome, he said.

Lilian Cruz of Wilson hopped with excitement when her daughter, Antoinette, 9, spelled "l-e-g-i-o-n" in round six. She'd never been in a spelling bee before, but was ready to give it a try when her mother heard about the contest on the radio, Lilian Cruz said.

Katy Regittko, 10, of Garner finished second. "She gave it her best," said her mother, Luann Regittko. Katy was also in her first spelling competition; but, her mother said, "She's very competitive" - especially with her older sister, Grace, who has been working on her vocabulary to get ready for college board exams.

Saturday was Emily Hunter's 10th birthday. For her, the bee was preparation, said her mother, Margaret, from Raleigh.

"Her school is going to participate [in a national spelling bee] next year, and we thought this would be a good way to get started," Hunter said.

Annabelle Bloom, 10, of Raleigh had finished second in a school spelling bee, said her mother, Sally, and was ready to try again.

"She's a performer," Bloom said. "Anything to get to New York."

Oddly enough, winner Emma Breslin's attitude was just the opposite. Composing herself once it all was over, she stepped to the microphone: "I have one thing to say: I do not want to go to New York City."

Nothing against the Big Apple, she explained later: "I'm just very nervous."