2 Saipan students make top 5 in regional spelling bee

Two students from Saipan placed in the top 5 at the 45th Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in Guam last Saturday.

Whispering Palms School 8th grader Samantha Liske-Clark placed second in the Guam regionals.

Anthony King, an 8th grader at the Francisco Mendiola Sablan Middle School, placed fifth overall.

An eighth grader at Saint Anthony Catholic School in Guam, Alyssa Dela Cruz, was crowned the champion on Saturday. Her winning word was “lassi.”

Samantha Liske-Clark, eldest daughter of April Liske-Clark, a registered nurse at the Commonwealth Health Center’s labor and delivery unit, told Saipan Tribune that the competition was “probably one of the scariest things I have ever done but it is also super fun.”

“I don’t regret anything. I didn’t come in first but I did my best,” said Samantha Liske-Clark. “I learned a lot. …The competition…really teaches you to be graceful under fire, because it is truly terrifying [to get] up on stage with everybody looking at you and try to not screw up. It really teaches you how to handle pressure.”

Samantha Liske-Clark’s mother, April, said she is very proud of not only her daughter but also of the other competitors.

“All of the [children] were so composed and positive, everyone really supported everyone else. Sam studied everyday since October and was well prepared for the competition. It was very bittersweet at the end. She had a championship opportunity and missed by one letter. I am just so extremely proud of her and her accomplishments,” said April.

Despite her defeat, Samantha Liske-Clark remains upbeat and said she sees herself competing in even more contest as she enters high school.

FMS represented

Though likewise disappointed, King also told Saipan Tribune that he sees himself competing in future spelling bees and going beyond fifth place.

King said the experience was good compared to last year, in which he didn’t really perform too well.

King thanked his mom for supporting him and pushing him to do well in the spelling bee.

“She [pushed] me to do this for my future,” said King. “This could affect my high school or college and it would be a great [addition] to my diploma.”

Like Samantha Liske-Clark, King wishes to go to college after high school, but has yet to set his sights on a specific university or college to attend.

King was chaperoned to Guam by his mother, Christine Acebedo, FMS principal James Sablan, Education Commissioner Cynthia Deleon Guerrero, and FMS English, Language, and Arts teachers Marylou Dejillas, Cinnabon Diaz, and Beverly Surla.

According to Sablan, King was very relaxed during the competition.

“At the day of the spelling bee, he was as casual as he was,” recalled Sablan. “He wore what he wanted to wear but he was just in the zone—even I was surprised. We had a very good year and [King] was asking to repeat the words over and over again to be able to distinguish the spelling.”

Sablan said that King was obviously dedicated to win.

“[King] has potential. He did a good job and according to [Acebedo], he was studying at home,” said Sablan.

King said the experience helps expand his vocabulary and assists with his studies.

“If I am reading something and I don’t know the words, I could maybe encounter it in the spelling bee,” said King. “It helps with my studies.”

Both Samantha Liske-Clark and Anthony King competed against 56 other students from elementary and middle schools in Guam, Saipan, Rota, Tinian, and Pohnpei at the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort. The champion, Dela Cruz, will go to Washington, D.C. in May to compete at the 90th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee.