
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 4, 1993                   TAG: 9306040042
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

2 `EASY' ONES WIN SPELLING BEE FOR TENN. BOY

Geoff Hooper, an eighth-grader from Arlington, Tenn., smiled with confidence Thursday as he correctly spelled "kamikaze" to win the 66th National Spelling Bee.

Geoff, 14, survived 16 rounds that knocked out 234 youngsters over two days. David Urban, 13, of Amarillo, Texas, was the last competitor before stumbling over the word "renascent."

The winner, blond and bespectacled, raised the winner's trophy over his head then told the crowd he was surprised at the easiness of the last two words he was asked to spell - "kamikaze" and "enchilada."

"It's been a big contrast," said Geoff, referring to other rounds where competitors wrestled with words from "whippoorwill" to "plesiosaurus."

by CNB