Annaya Augustine, a fifth-grader at Hickory Flat Elementary School, is the Henry County spelling bee champion for the second straight year.
She correctly spelled “etymology” and “obsequious” to clinch the title. A total of 34 spellers from local schools in grades 4 through 8 took part in the county competition, which lasted 24 rounds. The 14th round narrowed the field to three, and by the 18th round it was down to two. Hampton Middle seventh-grader Aayush Mehta finished second and Locust Grove Middle eighth-grader Alexis Berzinski was third.
All three received cash prizes and advance to the regional completion Feb. 23 in Conyers. The state spelling bee is March 15 at Georgia State University.
