Morrison eighth-grader Caleb Smith will retire on top, the young wordsmith garnering his fourth title in the Southern Standard spelling bee Monday evening, nailing the word “balderdash” before claiming the title of best speller over his cousin with the word “belligerent.”“I try to picture the word in my head and spell it out,” Smith said, admitting he is a slow reader and does not read much. “I study words a lot and my mom helps me.”It took several rounds for Smith to defeat his cousin and fellow Morrison student Lauryn Ashby in the finals which featured the top spellers from around the county in grades 4-8. Ashby’s hopes of hoisting the trophy were derailed on the word “accolades.”
Caleb Smith wins spelling bee
He spells 'belligerent' for fourth win