After six rounds containing words such as jumbo, mister and ladybug, Wilson Junior-Senior High School eighth grade student Aiden Watts correctly spelled the word “rudiments” Jan. 29, to win the 2020 Ellsworth County Spelling Bee.

“I feel great,” said Watts, the son of Kari Maul and Nathan Watts, after winning the spelling bee at the Ellsworth Junior-Senior High School Performing Arts Center.“I got second place in sixth grade, I think, so it feels great to finally win.”

Watts said competing in this year’s spelling bee was easier than he thought it would be.

As first place in the Ellsworth County Spelling Bee, Watts received a Kindle 7 tablet and a ribbon with medal. He will represent Ellsworth County at the Sunflower State Spelling Bee March 21 on the campus of Newman University in Wichita.

The four other top Ellsworth County spellers were:

• Preston Florian, a sixth grade student at Kanopolis Middle School, placed second. He received a ribbon with medal for his efforts.

• Allie Thomasson, a seventh grade student at EJSHS, placed third and received a ribbon with medal.

• Claire Schiermeyer, a sixth grade student at Wilson Elementary School, placed fourth and received a ribbon with medal.

• Lainey Peschka, a sixth grade student at KMS, placed fifth and received a ribbon with medal.

A total of 40 students in grades 4-8 competed in this year’s spelling bee. Fourteen students were from Wilson School, six students were from Central Plains Elementary School in Holyrood, four students were from Central Plains Junior-Senior High School in Claflin, nine students were from EJSHS, and six students were from KMS.

Judges for the spelling bee were KMS teacher Kelly Clark, Janese Base of Ellsworth and KMS principal Eric Stoddard.

Stoddard is also the coordinator of the spelling bee. Clay Manes was moderator.

Stoddard said the spelling bee went well.

“We had a lot of hard work by everybody to get it organized,” he said.“I’ve been talking with the principals of the other schools since the start of the school year to get organized and ready to go. We had a good group of kids. You could tell they practiced and worked hard and prepared for today.”