Champion coach Rev. Glen Archer congratulates Regina Bish after she won The Gleaner's Children's Own 2007 Spelling Bee All-Island Championship at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Campion College's Regina Bish is the 2007 Gleaner Children's Own All-Island Spelling Bee Champion.

Regina survived a nail-biting contest yesterday at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston when she outlasted Manchester's Lawre Johnson, who was finishing in the top five for the third straight year. It would have been a different outcome if Lawre had spelled 'contretemps' correctly, but her mistake prolonged what was already a dramatic spelling contest. When Regina correctly spelled 'pastiche' (an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another artist, work or period) it was finally over.

"I cried three times today," said an elated Regina. "The first time was because I lost my handicaps and the second time was because I made it this far (the top two) without them. And then there were tears of joy," she smiled.

The top four were coached by spelling wizard Rev. Glen Archer, with third place going to Kingston's Khandae Wright and fourth to St. Catherine's Sade Dunbar.

This year, many of the spellers' scores were tied after the preliminary rounds on Tuesday, so there was a top nine in yesterday's afternoon session instead of the usual seven.

Girls dominated

The girls dominated the nine with All-Island Campion Boy, Jahmar Brown, placing ninth. Eighth place went to West-moreland's Tiffany Robinson, with Karee Parkinson of St. James in seventh; sixth to Hanover's Andrene Hutchinson and fifth to St. Ann's Anna-Kaye Bromfield.

Overall, the spellers went through over 350 words throughout both days of competition; some of them leaving the awestruck audience gasping.

Regina will now represent Jamaica in the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee Competition in Washington D.C. at the end of May.