Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Top Nevada speller bows out at national competition

Daniel Taylor

COURTESY

Daniel Taylor

Fourteen-year-old Daniel Taylor’s spelling skills got him all the way from Minden — population 3,000 — to Washington, D.C., one letter at a time.

Taylor is the king of spellers among sixth- through eighth-graders in his Northern Nevada town and the state altogether. This week he had the chance to elevate that title to the next level at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but didn't end up making it past the third preliminary round when he misspelled a word that does not even appear in most dictionaries: “Patriliny” meaning “the practice of tracing descent through the father’s line.”

He spelled the uncommon word with two “e’s” instead of a “y.”

At the sound of the judge’s dreadful bell, Taylor slouched his shoulders and walked off the stage quietly.

But it's not the end of Taylor's dreams. In addition to spelling, the eighth-grader is on the swim team at Grace Christian Academy and competed in the USA Snowboard Association National Championship in 2014 and 2015. He is also a member of the Boy Scouts of America, where he is an assistant senior patrol leader of his troop.

“We’ve been trying to treat spelling like any other hobby and as if it is a part of the normal routine,” said Taylor’s mother, Malia Taylor. “Although I think we’re more nervous than he is, we don’t want to put pressure on him or else he will not do well.”

Malia Taylor said the entire family, including Daniel Taylor's 6-year-old sister, Caitlin, practiced SAT study books and word lists with him to prepare for the intense competition.

His classmates and teachers even peppered him with quiz words as they crossed paths with him in hallways at school.

“He is such a diligent student and he excels in anything that he puts his mind to,” said Joanna Bowman, principal at Grace Christian Academy. “We’re all so proud of him and happy to see how far he’s come.”

Since winning the Nevada State Spelling Bee, which was sponsored by the Greenspun Media Group, Taylor has received a lot of attention in the community.

“It has almost been overwhelming for him because he’s a teenage boy and he’s not seeking any attention, but he appreciates all of the support," said Malia Taylor.

So now Daniel Taylor can r-e-l-a-x, but not so much his mom. Taylor’s younger brother, Connor, says he wants to be the new spelling champ.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy