Feb. 6—The Amentum Center for Performing Arts in Aiken was filled Monday night with teachers and family who came to support the 14 contestants competing in the Aiken County Public School District’s Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals.

Dorothea Viner, 10, of Belvedere Elementary School won the competition after spelling the compound word “Erlenmeyer flask.”

The soft-spoken winner was surrounded by family after collecting her prizes and posing for photos.

“I just wanted to go and hug her. She was phenomenal,” said Uyen Griffis, a contest judge and District Teacher of the Year.

“I was just beaming for each one of them because I feel like they were my own kids up there,” Griffis said about the other contestants. “You could just tell they were so determined.”

Other judges included retired Aiken Standard editor Jeff Wallace and Micki Dove, the district’s director of curriculum support.

The top five contestants of this spelling bee will compete in the regional spelling bee sponsored by the Carolina Panthers at their indoor practice facility in the Atrium Health Dome. This event will be held on March 16 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Along with Viner, the top five will include runner-up Grant Kreitzer of New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School, Jada Brown of Aiken Intermediate School, Carter Little of Jackson STEM Magnet Middle School and Caleb Rojas Bohn of Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School.

Other participating contestants were Reece Brubaker of Kennedy Middle School; Max Hunter of New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School; Tristan Reid of Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle School; Kenner Mujica of Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary School; Cager Hogan of Aiken Intermediate School; Reid McKinney of Clearwater Elementary School; Breana Herrera of Leavelle McCampbell Middle School; Keegan Cobb of Paul Knox Middle School; and Danica Bressler of Aiken Innovate School.

Each participant was awarded a $100 Books-A-Million gift card. Viner and Kreitzer additionally each received a $100 Apple gift card, and Viner was gifted an iPad. Those were presented by Dean Campbell, communications director with Savannah River Mission Completion.

Award plaques were presented to the winner and runner-up by John Boyette, executive editor of the Aiken Standard.

Superintendent King Laurence and Amy Edwards, the district’s chief officer of instruction, gave out participation certificates.

“Congratulations to all of you,” said Laurence on stage. “This is a great night of fun that I enjoy every year.”

Michelle King, librarian at Kennedy Middle School, talked about the importance of highlighting students who excel academically.

“So many times we focus on sporting events, and we don’t shine the light on these kids who are doing great things… like Future Cities and band and dance and chorus,” she said. “It’s really neat to see the kids shine in other ways as well.”