Kathryn Sexton Wins Huntington High School’s Spelling Bee

Freshman Kathryn Sexton is the spelling bee champion at Huntington High School after the toppling an impressive field in a contest that spilled across three class periods in the auditorium. The event was organized by the Post Ellipsis chapter of the National English Honor Society.

Junior Julian Canales, who was the 2025 champion, finished as the runner-up to Ms. Sexton. The officers of Huntington’s Post Ellipsis chapter of the National English Honor Society spent weeks planning this year’s event. A preliminary spelling test was administered in English classes with the top two scorers in each class advancing to the finals in the auditorium.

The competition was closely contested. English Honor Society officers chose the words posed to contestants and created the sentences used in the competition itself. Students were allowed to attend the event during their free periods or lunch periods or if their respective teacher brought them down to the auditorium.

English Honor Society President Katie Cocoman and Vice President Lexie Balm called out the words to contestants along with Principal Rochelle C. Brown. English teachers Aimee Antorino and Kelly Quintero serve as the faculty advisors.

“Multiple months of hard work went into the spelling bee,” Ms. Cocoman said. “All of the amazing officers; Lexie, Ruby [Hoffman], Cecilena [Monge Moreira], Maddy [Falk] and Mia [Einemann] put in countless hours with Mrs. Quintero and Ms. Antorino planning each word and organizing every detail. All the tests given by the officers, the lists of words revised over and over, and the English Honor Society participation definitely made the event worthwhile. I was overwhelmed with the school spirit revolving around the event. I don’t think it could’ve gone better. Lexie and I were attached at the hip during the planning process and I definitely couldn’t have gotten through it without her.”