Clovis student state bound

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Only a few years ago, the ability to spell a word like “oscillatory” meant you had a pretty good shot to win a spelling bee.

Now, your chances of a title depend on knowing the word refers to an uninterrupted, back-and-forth motion.

Ariel Kokoricha, a seventh-grader at Clovis Christian Schools, proved that she could do both, and she is now preparing for her fourth-consecutive New Mexico Spelling Bee.

The state contest is scheduled for March 21 in Albuquerque. Kokoricha, who turns 12 Friday, will compete against 42 contestants from 25 counties.

Kokoricha won her fourth consecutive county spelling bee on January 26, with younger sister Alisa Kokoricha finishing second. Ariel said she is preparing for the spelling bee by using apps that help increase her vocabulary.

She said her favorite part about participating in spelling bees is simply “getting to spell,” and when she feels nervous at the competition she prays.

“It’s very unusual to love language the way Ariel does,” said CCS principal Linda D’Amour. “She not only loves words, she loves country of origin, she loves tenses of words — the Greek, the Latin ... it’s pretty spectacular what she’s able to do.”

D’Amour said Kokoricha’s passion for spelling has had a positive impact on the other students at CCS, too.

“The bar she has set has raised it for all the kids,” D’Amour said. “It’s very motivating, and we have seen across the board kids get more interested in words and language.”

Kokoricha also won the regional science fair this year and is headed to the New Mexico Science and Engineering Fair March 27 in Socorro. Her project explores which kinds of antacids work best to neutralize gastric acid.

“She’s really well rounded,” D’Amour said. “And that’s what some people don’t realize. She doesn’t just spell; she does a lot of things really, really well.”

D’Amour said she will be glad when Kokoricha can be the one in charge of reading the words at future school spelling bees.

“It’s very challenging to find people that are familiar with the words and can actually pronounce them,” D’Amour said, then joked, “It’s very intimidating to give her words because I know she knows how to pronounce it much better than I can.”

The state spelling bee winner qualifies for the Scripps National Spelling Bee May 24-29. Ariel, then 10, finished 43rd in the national competition in 2013.