O’Keeffe Middle School speller top in city, earns top 15 at state bee

By Jeff Randall, Eastside News

D. Jimmy McNeill, a then 11-year-old farm boy from a one-room school outside Hollandale, was the runner-up of the inaugural Badger State Spelling Bee in 1949. The champion that first year was Charlotte Kreul. About Kreul’s win, McNeill said many thought he was being “magnanimous.”

The truth was he lost on a bad occurrence. He forgot the second ‘r’ in occurrence — something he said he has not done in the 76 years since. McNeill told bee attendees of his drama from that first competition before the start of this year’s. A single ‘r’ did him in.

O’Keeffe Middle Schooler Benjamin Tekin was one of two Madison students at the 2025 Badger State Spelling Bee March 29 at Madison Area Technical College’s impressive Mitby Theater. Sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal, 53 of the state’s top spellers assembled to try to earn a place in the 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee May 27-29 and avoid a misstep like McNeill. The top two Wisconsin spellers advance.

Prior to the bee, the State Journal and Kwik Trip sponsored a tailgate of brats, in true Wisconsin style. Tekin, a seventh grader, won the city spelling bee Feb. 15 to advance to the state competition.

Many things have changed over 76 years, yet the format remains fairly simple. Though laptop computers sit in front of the three judges, there is still a single bell that is rung to signify a speller is incorrect. After two rounds, 17 entrants had been eliminated. After three rounds, 28 spellers remained. By Round 5, 15 remained — and Tekin was one of those. He would exit in Round 6 on the word “abomasum,” which is a portion of a ruminant’s stomach. Tekin’s goal was to make it in the top 50 — which he did. He believes he tied for ninth, easily in the top 15.

Tekin’s countenance onstage displayed a nonplussed sangfroid. In other words, he was calm and cool onstage — aren’t those great words for a spelling bee? Yet, Tekin acknowledges he felt “very nervous. (There were) a lot of people in the crowd.”

Some spellers mimed writing on their arms or placards, spelling out kinetically. One young speller even typed as if on an imaginary keypad. Tekin’s own process is to “visualize letters on a page coming together — sound out sounds.”

Tekin’s preparation consisted of reading a lot of fiction, which he enjoys. He told his mom he had read every book at the local library, which she hesitated to believe at first, but found out her son was correct. In addition to reading, he said he attained a study app, “but only a day before the bee and (used) it only two times.”

When he’s not practicing his spelling, Tekin plays the alto sax in O’Keeffe’s orchestra and jazz band. He also enjoys playing soccer.

While the state bee was the terminus this year for Tekin, he plans to compete in 2026 — his final year of eligibility. The origin of his own journey goes back to Lowell Elementary, where he was required to compete in a class and school spelling bee.

Having won the city version this year, he was congratulated by everyone at school, “even people I didn’t know, in the halls.” Tall and even-tempered, Tekin not only has plenty of words in his head, he also has a nature that seems to put others at ease. Sitting in the audience, it was apparent to me that he was unflappable and seemed to connect with a co-contestant that sat beside him who also exited the same round.

I asked if he had a favorite word?

“Acquiesce,” he replied.

I spelled the word correctly, but without confidence. Tekin spelled it out confidently and said, “Not even sure what it means, (but I) like how it sounds.”

Acquiesce, per New Oxford Dictionary, is to accept without protest.