Tracy

Welch, an eighth grader at Rising Starr Middle

School, doesn't need spell-check.

Her

way with words won her first place in the recent

county-wide spelling bee. Correct spelling of the

words "technique," "arcane"

and "squalid" separated her from the 17

other elementary and middle schoolers competing

for a chance to move on to the district contest

March 4.

Welch

is not a newcomer to spelling competitions. She

took second place in fifth grade, while living in

Columbus County, and was top speller in her

school in seventh grade. Now she is working on

mastering some of the tough words contained in

the Scripps-Howard booklet of 3,500 words used

across the nation for spelling bees.

"There

are 29 different categories," she explained.

The 13-year-old student also plays the trombone,

and according to one of her teachers, "may

rule the world someday," Welch said

laughing.

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