By Daviot Kelly, Staff ReporterLUCEA PRIMARY stopped the three-year run of Bethel Primary and Junior High in the Hanover parish finals of The Gleaner's Children's Own-sponsored Spelling Bee Competition yesterday.
Norando Brown became the fourth boy champion after defeating schoolmate Vanessa Williams. They were so elated for each other that they hugged after the final word.
The top five was completed by Tiffany Grant of Bethel Pri-mary and Junior High, fourth to Kade Foster of Claremont All-Age and fifth to Clayton Collins of Chester Castle All-Age.
A power outage during the competition yesterday posed two problems. The venue was hot as the fans were out and there was no microphone so the soft-spoken children could hardly be heard at times. Norando credited his win to hard work. "I get to school by 7 o'clock and study until devotion. Then again at lunch time and after school until 5 o'clock."
The Westmoreland parish finals had an intriguing end as Alicia Lindsay of Frome Prep and Delano Campbell of Petersfield Primary and Infant relentlessly pushed each other to see who would win.
The other 33 spellers had long gone before they started their duel. In the end, it was Alicia who triumphed giving her school its sixth straight victory. The other three in the top five were Kristen Forbes of Savanna-la-Mar Primary, fourth to Alman Fletcher of Unity Primary and fifth to Dezric Beckford of Frome Prep. Alicia said afterwards that she had a worthy opponent.
"When Delano was spelling so well I really got nervous," she said.
She also thanked her coach Cherala Maddan for her guidance.
National Commercial Bank and Jamaica National Building Society gave certificates to the champion boy and champion teacher respectively.
Only two parishes are left to complete the journey. St. Elizabeth and Manchester will today see which of their children will join the eight girls and four boys who will compete in the national finals in Kingston next year.
