
By Brenda Erdahl:
Maple Lake eighth grader Nolan Cole won the District Spelling Bee title last week in his first and final district level spelling bee competition. Cole spelled prototype correctly to claim the honor and will advance to the Regional Spelling Bee on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at St. Cloud State University. From there he has a shot of advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland. This was Cole’s first spelling bee, and since he’s an eighth grader, his last. The bee is open to students in fifth through eighth grades, and although Cole has qualified for the bee in the past, his fear of public speaking always prompted him to turn down the invitation to compete – until this year. “I had a huge confidence boost this year,” he said. “In fact, I told everybody, ‘Be ready, you’re about to lose.” Students are chosen for the district level bee held every year at the Maple Lake High School auditorium based on preliminary spelling tests where roughly the top 20 scores get to compete. This year’s contest was held on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
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