Despite spelling both words correctly in the preliminary round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, local speller Kevin Ammann will not be moving on to the semifinal round.
Judges accepted only 48 spellers for the semifinals, basing their decision on how spellers performed on the written test at the beginning of the contest earlier this week. Kevin said, though, that he's proud to have made it as far as he did and is excited about visiting the Library of Congress today.
Kevin, a Knox Junior High eighth-grader, attended the national bee after winning the Fulton County Spelling Bee months ago. In his time on stage at the national bee in Washington, D.C., Ammann spelled "echelon" and "catoptromancy" correctly, but did not score high enough on the written exam to be moved on to the semifinal round.
Ammann's enthusiastic spelling style caught the eye of ESPN reporters, though, said his mother, Deb Ammann. He was chosen to act in a bee commercial and ran up the steps, fists pumping, of the Jefferson Memorial, emulating the iconic image from the Rocky movies. The commercial is expected to air sometime today, Deb Ammann said.
"That was pretty fun," Deb Ammann said. "We're a little disappointed [he did not get into the semifinals], but overall, this has been a great experience, seeing him on stage."
The entire Ammann family -Kevin, Deb, Kevin's father, Paul Ammann, and children Ryan, 11; Katie, 9; and Shawn, 5, as well as Deb Ammann's mother - went to Washington to cheer on Kevin. They've also been visiting sites around the capital, Deb Ammann said.
Ammann's trip was sponsored by The Leader-Herald, which coordinated the Fulton County bee.
"We have definitely done a lot of sightseeing," she said. "We've seen all the major sites. It's been great."
Kevin agreed. He said he has made several friends through the bee and is looking forward to a closing ceremony Saturday. He said he's proud of himself for making it as far as he did.
"It feels really good," he said. "I'm disappointed I didn't make it to the semifinals, but I'm still proud I've made it this far."
Acting in the commercial was an unexpected treat, he said. He said he also enjoyed visiting several museums, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial.
"I've met a lot of really nice people. It's a really friendly place," he said. "I'm glad I had this experience."
The semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN today beginning at 10 a.m., and the finals will be broadcast on ABC today at 8 p.m.
