Great Bend Middle School student Dalton Dicks was seated next to last year’s champion Jazmin Garcia. Her good luck rubbed off on the middle school seventh-grader.
Dicks spelled six words correctly, finishing with “tobacco,” to capture the Donald H. Humphreys 2015 Barton County Spelling Bee Saturday morning at Great Bend High School.  The Barton County Spelling Bee is sponsored by the Great Bend Kiwanis Club.
Dicks also correctly spelled “illegal,” “geometry,” “oxidize,” “jaguar,” and “migraine.”
Dicks missed qualifying for the Barton County Spelling Bee last year and was eliminated two years ago when he missed “alibi.”
“I really didn’t expect myself to win or expect to do that well,” Dicks said. “I’ve been in it before. But I’m a little bit older and thought that I’d have a better chance than my fifth-grade year.  I was more calm and confident than my fifth-grade year.”
Dicks thought for a moment before spelling his most challenging word “oxidize.”
“Oxidize was the only one. I was thinking “se,” rather than “ze,” he said. “I figured I’d guess the one I didn’t think of first.”
The son of Shane and Hayley Dicks said he kept sharp mentally by spelling the words along the competitors. His favorite classes with teacher Renee Buntain are science and English.
Runner-up Kyler Doll of St. Joseph Catholic School in Ellinwood and third-place finisher Drew Nicholson of Holy Family each spelled four words correctly before stumbling.
Dicks and Doll both qualify for the 2015 Sunflower State Spelling Bee March 7 at Fort Hays State University. Doll is the son of Monte and Robin Doll and Lyles Lashley is his teacher at St. Joseph.
Doll first missed “cellophane,” and Nicholson missed “facade,” in the fifth round. Doll earned the runner-up spot by correctly spelling “realm,” after Nicholson missed “hydraulic.”
Doll correctly spelled “gopher,” “warranty,” “novice,” and “salmon.” Nicholson correctly spelled “hoax,” “jealous,” “knuckle,” and
pyramid.”
Defending Barton County spelling champion Garcia spelled “annual,” and “erasable,” correctly before missing “eulogy.”
Judges were Jean Cavanaugh, Dr. David Hart and Judy Fox. Robert Feldt served as pronouncer and Paul Maneth recorded the festivities. The Barton County Spelling Bee Committee features Dale Oliver, Earl Fox, Arlen Schroeder, Rob Bauer and Paul Snapp.
Great Bend other entries were Eisenhower Elementary—Raven Ellis, fifth; Jefferson Elementary—Scott Heilman, fifth; Dustin Emig fifth; Lincoln Elementary—Johnathan Randall, fifth; Noah Barrett sixth; Park Elementary—Brianna Allison, fourth; Deizel Carey-Banks sixth; Riley Elementary—Esperanza Esparza, fifth; Holy Family—Alayna Irwin, fifth; Central Kansas Christian Academy—Jaci Guthrie, sixth; Tessa Fry fifth; and Great Bend Middle School—Jazmin Garcia seventh.
Ellinwood’s other entries were Ellinwood Elementary School—Jozlyn Brown, sixth; Trey Schofield fifth; Ellinwood Middle School—Taryn Robl, seventh; Dylan White seventh; and St. Joseph—Ashtin Klepper, sixth.


BARTON COUNTY WINNERS
2015—Dalton Dicks, Great Bend Middle School
2014—Jazmin Garcia, Riley Elementary
2012-2013—Allison Regehr, Great Bend Middle School
2011-2009—Allison Regehr, Jefferson Elementary
2010—Janae Ryan, Claflin Elementary
2008—Tim Demel, Claflin Elementary
2007—Jacob Crane, Central Kansas Christian Academy
2006—Kaitlyn Robl, Ellinwood Elementary School
2005—Chris Batt, Hoisington Middle School
2004—Travis Liebl, Claflin Jr. High
2002-2003—Annie Weber, Claflin Jr. High
2001—Christopher Willis, Hoisington Lincoln Elementary
1999-2000—Emily Oberle, Claflin Elementary
1996-1998—Matt Weber, Claflin Elementary/Jr. High
1995—Tim Clark, Hoisington Middle School
1994—Rebeka Weber, Claflin Elementary
1993—April Hawthorne, Jefferson Elementary
1988-1992—Andy Feist, Claflin Elementary/Jr. High
1987—Hank Humphreys, Harrison Jr. High
1984-1986—Kristi Klepper, St. Joseph School, Ellinwood
1983—Shelly Flaherty, Claflin Jr. High
1982—Scott Myers, Harrison Jr. High
1981—Tony Bigcharles, Berean Christian
1980—Tony Thill, St. Joseph School, Ellinwood
1976, 1977, 1979—Tom Schulz, Roosevelt Jr. High
1978—Libby Turner, Morrison Elementary
1940—Larry Kinzel, St. Rose School, Great Bend
1935, 1937, 1939—Fred W. Meyer, Ellinwood
1938—Elinor (Brining) Haneke, Great Bend Jr. High
1936—Dorothy (Radenberg) Tritsch, Claflin