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A different type of Olympics
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JL Jacobs photo Winners of the WCMS Keyboarding Olympics this year are, from left, Sofia Sotelo, Julie Diaz, Sidney Lorance, Easton Pelham, Elijah Castillo, Nicabella Winton, Violet Flores, Parker Griffith and Gaige Clever.

If you don’t know how to keyboard, whether it’s for a computer, a tablet or on your personal device, it’s like being illiterate in this day and age. Knowing your way around a keyboard is essential for life. No longer is the emphasis on handwriting, but it is essential to be able to communicate via a keyboard. And these Warren County Middle Schoolers are the very best at it.

Computer teacher Susan Barrett helps prep these students all year long. 

“Knowing they’ll compete at the end of the year for the Golden Keyboard and a place in the Keyboarding Olympics motivates these kids. It makes it a lot of fun as the year progresses,” Barrett said.

The top winners of the Fourth Annual Keyboarding Olympics are as follows:

Sixth grade — Third place, Sofia Sotelo; second place, Julie Diaz and first place, Sidney Lorance.

Seventh grade — Third place, Eston Pelham; second place, Elijah Castillo and first place, Nicabella Winton.

Eight Grade — Third place, Violet Flores; second place, Parker Griffith and first place, Gaige Clever.


The overall winner broke all previous school records with a score of 144 words per minute and 98 percent accuracy. The overall nimble-fingered champion in 2024 was Nicabella Winton. She will have her name engraved on the Golden Keyboard list of champions.

Winton was humble about her victory. She said she finds it relaxing and it just comes natural to her. Some of the Olympic winners credit their video-game expertise with helping their dexterity, but not all. Sixth grade top three members Sotelo and Diaz said they don’t play video games at all. Sidney Lorance said he’s just a natural. Gaige Clever said, on the other hand, that he finds the educational tools like Ratatype very useful in increasing his speed and accuracy.

All of the recipients received a certificate and a gift bag for their achievements. 

Barrett noted that they start at the beginning of the year to prep the students and use the Golden Keyboard to incentivize participation. “This is our fourth year and it has been very successful,” stated Barrett. “The kids get pretty competitive and we are really proud of them. Obviously in today’s society this is a skill they are going to need for every job they’ll ever have. We are very, very proud of them and hope that the contest continues for many years!”