Parish finals end with a bang

Tennesia Malcolm, Staff Reporter

"Hard work paid off" was the refrain that brought the curtains down on the parish finals of The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee 2010-11 competition.

The words were repeatedly uttered by St Andrew champion Hanif Brown Jr, but were also a reality for the scores of other students who lined up to chase their dream, and coaches who led them in the belief that they could accomplish such.

"I went through so much rigorous training, sleepless nights. I nearly got detention for not doing homework because I had to do spelling bee," said the St Thomas import, who took that eastern parish's title last year. "That's how committed I am to spelling bee."

During the St Andrew competition at The Gleaner's North Street, central Kingston, offices last Friday, there was commitment from second-place winner Charice Green as well. The nine-year-old said her approach was to "just study, study and keep on studying".

The St Cecelia Prep grade-fiver cried tears of joy at being named top girl.

"It was just so emotional knowing I was champion girl because I never thought that I could do it."

Charice continued: "I thought I would drop out in about the intermediate round but I did not. I just held the faith and any time I was gonna spell, I just prayed to the Lord."

She was not the only one praying.

"Even when I was in the line, I was praying in front of the camera," Hanif admitted, adding that faith in God is one-third of what makes a good speller.

"You (also) have to have a good coach (and) a determined student who follows instructions."

The accomplished youngster - Paul Bogle Scholar, recipient of a Gleaner scholarship - knows only too well to follow instructions.

"He is the most disciplined child I have trained in recent years and I think God rewarded him today for his hard work," said winning coach the Reverend Glen Archer, who Hanif describes as "a father to me".

"Hanif is an easy child to work with because one doesn't have to tell Hanif to do something more than once."

Confident

Hanif Brown Sr, the 12-year-old speller's real father, concurred.

"We came here quietly prepared knowing full well that because of his exposure and because of his dedication and the level of coaching, he would win."

But there was one obstacle that Hanif focused on during training. Third-place winner Alanna Duncan Taylor. The Campionite had placed second last year.

"The first thing that ran through my mind was ... will she be able to beat me?"

But the quality of Friday's top-five spellers in particular was of such a high level that anyone could have taken the title. They held the audience captive for hours as they exhausted the official spelling bee book and ventured into Unseen Words.

But a focused Hanif's P-R-E-D-I-L-E-C-T-I-O-N for spelling would give him the edge.

tennesia.malcolm@gleanerjm.com

Top 5

1 Hanif Brown, Ardenne High

2 Charice Green, St Cecelia Preparatory

3 Alanna Duncan Taylor, Campion College

4 Paul Wint, St Cecelia Preparatory

5 Danielle Williams, St Andrew Preparatory