Opp Elementary School third grader Caroline Short was named Opp Elementary School Spelling Champion this week.

Short correctly spelled the word clodhopper to win the bee after 27 rounds of competition.

Sara Catherine Sansom and Jazymne Hendrix were first and second alternates.

“Students in second, third and fourth grade at Opp Elementary School worked hard to become top spellers in order to successfully compete in the homeroom spelling bee which was held in December 2016,” OES Assistant Principal Christy Harrell said. “Winners from each homeroom across the grade levels participated in the OES School Spelling Bee on Jan. 9, 2017.”

Caroline spent most of her Christmas break preparing for the school spelling bee, she said.

“I’ve been studying since Christmas break,” she said. “I studied every day. I would normally go over the whole book and then get my mama to call them out to me. That would take me about three hours per day.”

She said that she was very nervous about the competition earlier this week.

“This was my first time doing the spelling bee,” she said.

She will represent OES at the county spelling bee in Andalusia next month.

“I’m excited and nervous,” she said.

Caroline is the daughter of Scotty and Heather Short.