Surviving the first six rounds, Madison's Isabel Jacobson, 14, has advanced to the final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, scheduled for broadast tonight on ABC. An eighth-grader at O'Keeffe Middle School on the near east side, Jacobson has progressed by passing a multiple-choice test in the first round, and then spelling the following sequence of words:
- Round 2: danceable
- Round 3: antioxidant
- Round 4: myrmecologist
- Round 5: lekvar
- Round 6: cannetille
Be honest now: If you had been given that sequence of words -- even with good enunciation, a definition and etymology for each word, and the use of each word in a sentence -- you would have gone down in flames in the fourth round. Or, if you lucked out on myrmecologist, you would have fallen in the fifth or sixth round for sure.
We've been fans of Jacobson since she first sat in judgement of Team Isthmus several years ago at the annual adult spelling bee to benefit Literacy Network (then known as the Madison Area Literacy Council) and Omega School. In addition to being a fine speller, she is a rock-climber and creative writer who plays classical violin and Gypsy fiddle music. Sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal (for whom she is also blogging), Jacobson tied for 14th place at last year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. This year, she is listed as Speller No. 285, yet Jacobson has outspelled all but 14 other competitors who have survived the sixth round. To follow her progress in the final rounds, tune in to the live championship broadcast scheduled for 7 p.m. on WKOW-TV, the local ABC affiliate, located at channel 7 for Madison's Charter cable subscribers.
But be prepared for edge-of-your-seat excitement: Last year's event extended into the 20th round before a champion was decided.
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