Royalton’s Chloe Holomon Wins Region 5 Spelling Bee

The Region 5 Spelling Bee has 29 local students competing who have already won their school and district spelling bee competitions. But today, it was Chloe Holomon from Royalton that took first place.

For an eight grader who sure knows a lot of words, all she could do was smile when asked about her victory.

“It feels good,” said Chloe Holomon, the Region 5 Spelling Bee Champion with a laugh.

Chloe says she spends every day practicing words with her mom and grandma, who were there supporting her today.

“Washington bound, I’m elated,” said Margie Majaski, Chloe’s grandma.

Chloe, now on her way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., had no hesitation spelling the winning word: “einkorn.”

“She understood different and difficult patterns of words, and how words work and how they fit together,” said head judge Cathy Riewer.

And each time, she stepped up to the microphone just as confident as the last.

“I kind of spelled the word and said it in my head, and then remembered how to spell it,” said Chloe.

Last year, as a part of the regional bee, Chloe finished in the top 10, but this year, she walked away as the champion.

“That’s really exciting, and that is actually what I think we have been working toward is the big one,” said Christina Holoman, Chloe’s Mom.

Chloe’s win came after beating tough competition from first runner-up Esme Pool of Aitkin and second runner-up Nicholas Backstrom of Brainerd.

“The kids were very prepared and we had some great participants, we had some really tricky words, and so I know that it can be difficult for the kids, but we had some awesome competitors,” said Katie Embree, the NJPA Student Academic Coordinator.