Melrose 5th grader wins spelling bee

Putnam winner will go on to compete in regional competition

  • Spelling bee champion Jillian Huntley, front right, and runner-up Nicolas Penta, front left, hold their trophies and certificates after the 54th Annual Putnam County School District Spelling Bee on Wednesday. They are standing with the Flagg family, who provided the trophies, and Joe Pickens, the spelling bee moderator and president of St. Johns River State College.
    Spelling bee champion Jillian Huntley, front right, and runner-up Nicolas Penta, front left, hold their trophies and certificates after the 54th Annual Putnam County School District Spelling Bee on Wednesday. They are standing with the Flagg family, who provided the trophies, and Joe Pickens, the spelling bee moderator and president of St. Johns River State College.
  • Spelling bee champion Jillian Huntley, right, and runner-up Nicolas Penta hold their trophies and certificates after the 54th Annual Putnam County School District Spelling Bee on Wednesday. Huntley will represent Putnam County at the First Coast Regional Spelling Bee.
    Spelling bee champion Jillian Huntley, right, and runner-up Nicolas Penta hold their trophies and certificates after the 54th Annual Putnam County School District Spelling Bee on Wednesday. Huntley will represent Putnam County at the First Coast Regional Spelling Bee.
  • Students in fifth through eighth grades stand together after the 54th Annual Putnam County School District Spelling Bee, which took place Wednesday at the government complex in Palatka.
    Students in fifth through eighth grades stand together after the 54th Annual Putnam County School District Spelling Bee, which took place Wednesday at the government complex in Palatka.

A Melrose Elementary School student emerged victorious Wednesday after 18 rounds of Putnam County’s 54th annual spelling bee.

Jillian Huntley will go on to represent Putnam in the 79th Annual First Coast Regional Spelling Bee, according to School District officials.

Huntley beat out 11 other opponents for first place and won on the word “designer.”

The spelling bee featured students from fifth through eighth grades, meaning Huntley beat out five sixth-graders, three fifth-grades, two seventh-graders and one eighth-grader.

Ochwilla Elementary School fifth grader Nicolas Penta came in second place during Wednesday’s competition.