DeKalb sixth grader competes in Scripps National Spelling Bee

DeKALB – St. Mary School sixth grader Max Foley of DeKalb headed to the east coast recently to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Foley, 12, was one of the 234 spellers who competed at the national level last week in National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside Washington D.C. The national spelling bee began in 1925 when nine newspapers joined together to host a spelling bee.

Although Foley was out after he was stumped by the word ‘chrysolite’ – a type of rock, and the Greek word for ‘golden stone’ – in the preliminaries, he faced the competition with courage.

“I think I could have gotten it, but it was kind of terrifying being on the stage,” Foley said.

The spelling bee was hosted from May 31 until June 2. Harini Logan, a 14-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, took home the top prize.

Competitors such as Foley worked their way through local and regional bees to earn spots at the national event, facing off against their peers through April. The preliminaries were May 31, the quarterfinals and semifinals took place June 1, and the finals ended June 2.

The 2020 National Spelling Bee competition was suspended and later canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, while 2021 was held partially virtual. This year marked a return to the bee’s more traditional format.

Earlier this spring, Foley finished second in St. Mary DeKalb’s spelling bee, advancing and then winning the regional bee, earning him a spot in Maryland.

Out of the 234 spellers, only 88 advanced passed the preliminaries.

“It was pretty tough in the beginning,” said Stephanie Foley, Max’s mother.

The Foleys took advantage of other festivities offered alongside the bee, including a creative writing and virtual reality coding camp for Max and said they enjoyed their time on the east coast.