MUNCIE — Craig Ulrey is no stranger to spelling.
“I've been in my school bee every year since second grade,” Ulrey said. “I kind of get an adrenaline rush in a way, I really enjoy it.”
The Heritage Hall Christian school 7th grader initially had his sights set on winning the regional spelling bee.
“My goal was mainly just to make it to the Ball State Regional Spelling Bee. I never dreamed that I would win it, so it’s pretty special.”
Ulrey didn't break a sweat when it came to his winning word.
“Condensation, C-O-N-D-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N.”
Ulrey’s mother says her son also has a knack for reading.”
“When he was little, he would have multiple books that he was reading simultaneously,” Katie Ulrey said. “And I did not know how he could do that.”
While reading undoubtedly helped Ulrey, he also credits the Word Club app from the National Spelling Bee.
“It gives you all these options, like multiple choice, type a whole word, word meaning, and it tracks your progress,” Ulrey said. “I've been using it a lot.”
Ulrey says he’s nervous but excited about heading to the nation’s capital.
“I can't wait to meet some new people and have some new opportunities and get to see the sights of Washington D.C.”
