It's all worth it: Ellis eighth-grader going national after recent Spelling Bee win
"When the girl I was going against got that word wrong, when it was just us two, I basically knew that I had won the competition, because I had memorized the words down pat," Peterson said Wednesday, still relishing the win a day after the event. "These words, I knew them like the back of my hand so I knew I was going to win when she got the word wrong."
Peterson, an eighth-grader at Ellis Middle School, won Tuesday's Spelling Bee on the word "judicious" and will now go on and represent the area at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. on May 26-31, with the finals slated to take place on May 29.
Peterson's recollection of the final moments of his win Tuesday isn't bragging, but rather the next step of a journey that has included hours of practice and spelling going as far back as first grade.
"It felt amazing knowing that I worked so hard and it finally turned out the way I wanted it to," Peterson said.
It also wasn't an easy win. Peterson said he felt the nerves of competing in this final round before he even got Rochester.
"I had some doubt in myself that I would be able to do it, but you know I tried to keep faith in myself," he said. "I ended up doing it."
Something of an old hat in the spelling game, Peterson has spent countless hours of practice working and memorizing the words that he might be facing.
This is a challenge in and of itself, but it's made even more so knowing that of the thousands of words he works through, only few of those words will be used. And it's only going to get more challenging at the national level.
"It can be very frustrating at times knowing you have to spend all of that time for just a few words because you don't know what you are going to get," Peterson said. "It all ends up being worth it in the end."
Peterson said he will now take some time off just to get away from the spelling game for a while before he jumps back into it in preparation for the live-televised event in May.
To do that he uses the Word Club app that provides different levels of words depending on a grade level.
But he's not doing this alone as Peterson has come to depend on family to help him through, including a rather boisterous fan section being in attendance Tuesday.
"I felt like I had done it," Peterson said after spelling "judicious," adding with a grin: "My grandma, like screamed."
He has also fallen back on the support of his mother, Breanna Peterson, who has been with him every step of the way, even during the challenging moments.
"I really owe a lot of it to my mom, because she has sat there as I get frustrated and I don't want to study anymore because I'm exhausted," Peterson said. "One thing she told me when I was having a hard time was, 'just close your eyes and imagine that moment when you win.' That really pushed me to want to win."
Peterson doesn't have to imagine anymore now that he's cleared this latest hurdle and looks even further forward, but he's not taking the opportunity for granted either. He will take a realistic view of things with him to the nation's capitol and all that entails, which he hopes includes a stop at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
"I'm nervous already, but I'm also very excited because I'm excited for the competition. Excited for the experience being in Washington, D.C.," he said. "Even if I do get out, it would be such an honor just to get to be there. One day I'll tell my kids you can do anything if you put your mind to it."
While the experience up until this point as well as the experience before him is exciting and important, there is also one added benefit that makes it all worthwhile.
"It's the last week of school so I get to skip the whole last week of school," he said.
This year marks 100 years of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Aside from Peterson, fellow Austin eighth-grader Giselle Hinks had advanced to Tuesday's Spelling Bee along with Hollandale Christian sixth-grader Jessica Bird.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Newsweek
Mets All-Star's Latest Gem Shows Why New York Must Offer Extension
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Every pitching staff needs a workhorse, and that's what David Peterson has become for the New York Mets. Coming off his first good season as a starter last year, it was hard to know what to expect from Peterson in this volatile Mets rotation. But he's checked every box along the way, making his first All-Star team at age 29 and pitching to a 3.30 ERA through 136 1/3 innings. Peterson's eight-inning, one-run start against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday was one of his most clinical outings yet. And it came on the first day of a stretch of 16 games for the Mets in 16 days, so he did it when his team needed it the most. WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 19: David Peterson #23 of the New York Mets looks on as he walks to the dugout after pitching eight innings against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 19,... WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 19: David Peterson #23 of the New York Mets looks on as he walks to the dugout after pitching eight innings against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by)That's what the Mets are coming to expect from Peterson. And soon, they need to figure out what it's going to take to keep him doing it a while longer. Peterson is set to hit free agency after next season, and if they lost him, the Mets might be all the way back to square one in filling out their rotation. Manager Carlos Mendoza didn't have a high volume words to say about Peterson after his latest gem, but the words he did say underscored exactly why the Mets need to lock down Peterson. "He was really good," Mendoza said, per Tim Britton of The Athletic. "In complete control." The Mets have a lot of other question marks in their current rotation. With Kodai Senga, it's health. With Clay Holmes, it's fatigue. With Nolan McLean, it's youth. None of those things apply to Peterson, who is a perfect prospective cornerstone for a rotation with many more top prospects on the way. According to Britton, Peterson has gone six innings or more in 16 of his 24 starts, while the rest of the Mets staff has done so 18 times in 101 tries. Plus, Peterson has six of the Mets' eight starts of seven or more innings. While it can be hard to get a deal done only a year before free agency, the fact that Peterson has never hit 150 innings in a season before should work to the Mets' advantage. It's not as if New York should break the bank for Peterson, but rather than waiting for its next reclamation project in free agency, it should recognize what it already has and try its best to lock him up. More MLB: Mets Lose Young Star To Injured List At Worst Possible Time: Report
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
David Peterson dominates the Nationals and Mark Vientos homers again as the Mets win 8-1
WASHINGTON (AP) — David Peterson dominated the Nationals again, Mark Vientos homered for the second consecutive game and the New York Mets pounded Washington 8-1 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory. Peterson (8-5), who blanked the Nats on June 11 in New York for his first career shutout, extended his scoreless streak against Washington to 25 innings dating to last season. He finally allowed a run when Dylan Crews led off the eighth with a triple and scored on a double-play grounder. The only Mets starter who has reliably pitched deep into games, Peterson finished the eighth. He allowed four hits, struck out 10 and walked one. Juan Soto hit his 31st homer, Jeff McNeil homered and drove in three runs, and Brett Baty also went deep for the Mets, who may be breaking out of a funk that began in late July. New York had lost 14 of 16 before this run of three wins in three states that began Saturday at Citi Field and continued Sunday night at the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where Vientos hit a three-run homer. 'We need him now,' manager Carlos Mendoza said before the game of Vientos, who hit 27 homers in 111 games last year but has seen sporadic playing time lately. Tuesday's two-run shot off Jake Irvin (8-8) was his ninth longball of the season. McNeil hit a two-run double during the Mets' five-run third against Irvin and went deep in the ninth off Jackson Rutledge. Peterson faced the minimum through five innings and had his first stress in the sixth, allowing a leadoff double to Andrés Chaparro and a one-out single to Jacob Young. The All-Star lefty then struck out James Wood and retired CJ Abrams on a fly to center. Key stat Peterson worked six or more innings for the 16th time. Clay Holmes (seven) has the next-most such outings on the Mets. Up next Kodai Senga (7-4, 2.35 ERA) starts for the Mets against the Nationals' Brad Lord (3-6, 3.26) on Wednesday night. ___
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Mets brutally squander six-run lead to Braves in worst loss of the season
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free So, what has been the Mets' second-worst loss of the season? The easy claim to the top spot was presented Wednesday night, when manager Carlos Mendoza's beleaguered bunch rolled over and got stomped by a Braves team that seemed intent early to simply hand the Mets a victory. Instead, the Mets flushed a six-run lead — surrendering 11 unanswered — in an embarrassing 11-6 loss at Citi Field. The loss was the Mets' 12th in 14 games and negated the positive vibes from a night earlier, when the team snapped a seven-game losing streak and watched Pete Alonso become the franchise's all-time home run leader. 'We've had some tough ones, but I wouldn't say worst loss of the season,' said manager Carlos Mendoza, whose Mets led 6-0 after two innings. 'They all count the same, but it sucks to lose a game when you're up six right away.' The Mets' lead for the National League's third and final wild-card spot shrank to one game over Cincinnati. The Mets still trail Philadelphia by five games for first place in the NL East. As has been the case too often lately, starting pitching was their downfall. But the Mets also didn't get enough relief and the lineup slumbered after two extremely active innings to begin the game following a 95-minute rain delay. David Peterson was removed after 3 ¹/₃ innings, completing a brutal performance in which he surrendered six earned runs on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts. It marked an entire turn through the rotation in which a starter — or bulk pitcher in Frankie Montas' case, pitching behind an opener — didn't complete five innings. 'We're not holding up our end and we need to do better,' Peterson said. 'I think that starts with analyzing the performance and then turning the page.' The lefty Peterson, who had completed six innings in each of his previous four starts, was supposed to be immune to such abbreviated work, but began losing his touch in the third inning when he walked Nacho Alvarez Jr. to load the bases. He walked four overall in his disastrous fourth. 'I was a little out of sync with my mechanics and wasn't able to dial it back,' Peterson said. Walks have killed the Mets. Overall, the team has surrendered 3.60 walks per game, the third-worst figure in MLB. 'We have got coaches right now looking at pretty much everything,' Mendoza said. 'Trying to figure out how we can continue to help these guys, especially the guys from the rotation because we know the talent is there. But we just haven't been able to get much from them, especially the last time through.' The Mets pounded Carlos Carrasco in his return to Citi Field — the veteran right-hander (who was released by the Yankees this season) pitched in Queens from 2021-23 and was popular with the fan base. On this night he was popular because he didn't miss many bats. Alonso, who received a loud ovation, a night after surpassing Darryl Strawberry on the franchise's all-time home run list, delivered a two-run single in the first inning to start the scoring. Cedric Mullins' sacrifice fly extended the lead to 3-0. All told, the Mets sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning and forced Carrasco to throw 39 pitches. Juan Soto's two-run homer in the second widened the lead to 5-0. It was homer No. 29 this season for Soto, moving him one ahead of Alonso for the team lead. Francisco Lindor singled ahead of Soto, who smashed a fastball over the center field fence. Jeff McNeil's RBI double extended the lead. But just when all should have been peachy for the Mets, the fourth inning arrived. It was an inning in which Peterson imploded and ended with the Mets behind 9-6. Peterson walked four batters in the inning and was removed, but not before Jurickson Profar stroked a three-run double after a walk to Nick Allen with the bases loaded had given the Braves their first run. Ozuna delivered an RBI single against Reed Garrett before Sean Murphy walked to reload the bases and Michael Harris II cleared the center field fence, a grand slam that pushed the Mets into a 9-6 hole. Ozuna's two-run homer against Paul Blackburn in the sixth gave the Braves an 11-6 lead. Blackburn, in his return from the injured list, gave the Mets five innings in relief and allowed two runs.
