Geta.
It’s a noun. The English pronunciation for a wooden shoe from Japan.
But for 15 long, slow seconds in the Kirby Smith Center, ‘geta’ was the only thing that mattered for Pierce Tolar.
He didn’t even know what a ‘geta’ was. But as he spelled it in his head, he knew he had it.
“G-E.”
The excitement bubbled up inside him.
“T.”
He paused again. Focus.
“A.”
The room of about 150 parents and grandparents erupted in applause. Pierce sighed, smirked and sat back in his chair.
The Alachua County School District had found its champion speller — a home-schooled 12-year-old.
The breakfast of this champion: waffles and a glass of milk.
Pierce was one of 37 elementary- and middle-schoolers from the district who were whittled down by 15 rounds of spelling Thursday.
Round one started with “easy” words such as “capillary” and “bombastic.” Some students grimaced through the tough parts like the “ph” in “peripheral.” The shrill ring of a service desk bell played off competitors for their misspellings.
Between rounds, parents waited like boxing trainers on their children, offering them water and calming advice. But Pierce’s dad, Mike Tolar, sat back in his seat.
Up next for Pierce is the regional competition, which will be held February in Jacksonville.
