Five of Hays CISD’s finest spellers, all of them campus champions, represented the district at the Zone X Spelling Bee, a qualifying meet for the Houston Public Media Spelling Bee. Local campus champs include third grader Cooper Yanta (above), as well as fifth graders Gillian Martin, Zoe Contreras, Kristen Castro (HES), and Ethan “Bear” Williams (PES). Buda Elementary’s Karen Sullivent pronounced for the contest, with Elm Grove teacher Jamie Perez and HCISD Board Trustee Merideth Keller doing the judging. Of the HCISD champions, Cooper advanced farthest, reaching the 12th round, before yielding to the four visiting students who would all vie into the 26th round before 1st and 2nd places were determined.
