Spellers couldn't bring anything other than a jacket into the preliminary testing room, but Chase Seals (Speller 12) didn't need to. His was on his name tag.
Chase, an Imperial, California seventh grader, turned 12 on December 12, 2012. He was No. 12 in the first Bee he ever won.
"The number seems to follow me around," he said. "Hopefully, it's a good omen."
His mother, Lisa, said her son has a competitive spirit. Chase said the vocabulary portion has been hard, but he tried to incorporate the words he's learning into conversation.
The verbose teen gave an example:
"I say I have logorrhea instead of that I talk too much," he said. "People stare at me, then I have to explain it. But using it in everyday language helps me remember."
