I-n-a-p-p-e-t-e-n-c-e Spells Victory
WASHINGTON — Joanne Lagatta, a 13-year-old from Clintonville, Wis., won the 64th National Spelling Bee on Thursday, correctly spelling “inappetence†and “antipyretic†to end a 90-minute duel with her last competitor.
Ventura County’s champion, Eric Huang, 13, of Camarillo, stumbled in the sixth round when he misspelled “keno.â€
Lagatta defeated Maria Mathew, 11, of Sterling, Ill., who was eliminated with the mistaken spelling, “inappetance.â€
“I was getting more and more nervous,†Lagatta said. “I just wanted to call it a tie.â€
She tensely bit her lip when she spelled “antipyretic,†which means an agent that allays fever. She went to Mathew and shook her hand before accepting the trophy. Lagatta also won $5,000.
Lagatta correctly spelled “inappetence,†meaning a lack of desire for food or drink, which Mathew had misspelled. She began the 25th round by correctly spelling “anxiolytic,†which means a drug that relieves stress and worry.
