Of the 273 spellers, only 50 will advance to Friday's rounds.
Webster's Dictionary - and study buddy, Lily - in hand, Katherine Schumacher of Baldwinsville poses before this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. The eighth grader was a repeat champion in The Post-Standard/WCNY Spelling Bee Feb. 6, earning herself a second consecutive trip to the national bee in Washington D.C. She began the oral competition today.Washington -- Katherine Schumacher, the Syracuse area's representative in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, entered the oral competition today with a perfect start by correctly spelling "deciduous."
The 14-year-old from Durgee Junior High School in Baldwinsville was the 166th out of 273 spellers to receive their first turn on the big stage.
Schumacher correctly spelled the word referring to things that fall off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle, such as leaves on a tree.
The eight-grader said during a break in rounds that she was incredibly nervous leading up to her turn in the spotlight.
"I was nervous because I didn't know what word he was going to ask me," Schumacher said. "But once he said it, I knew I had it."
All of the contestants, regardless of their first-round performance, will advance to the second round this afternoon for a chance to correctly spell a second word.
Their performance in today's oral competition will then be factored into an overall score that includes the results of 50-word written test administered Wednesday.
Each contestant can earn up to 31 points in the preliminary rounds -- 25 for the written test and 3 points for each of the two words given in the oral competition today.
Of the 273 spellers, only 50 will advance to the semifinal and championship rounds on Friday.
Schumacher will know by late afternoon if she will be advancing to the seminfinals. She planned to spend a three-hour break looking at homemade flash cards and going over her word lists.
Schumacher won The Post-Standard/WCNY Spelling Bee in February by spelling the word "transilient" correctly.
It is her second trip to the national spelling bee. Last year, she finished in 42nd place after advancing to the semifinals.
Nina Alcasid, 13, of Oswego Middle School is also in the national bee after winning The Palladium-Times regional competition. Alcasid, of Oswego, correctly spelled "dormancy" in the opening round.
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.