Hopeful Spelling Champ Gets 'Frigorific' Correct But is Ousted

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An aspiring Prince George’s County actress who also enjoys martial arts and sports, has bowed out of the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion.

The preliminary rounds began Tuesday at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, and the competition wraps up Thursday night.

Tamya Michelle Matthews, 13, an eighth-grader at Mount Calvary Catholic School in Forestville, represented Prince George’s County in the competition for the second year in a row. Her sponsor was The Gazette & The Star.

While she spelled the word “frigorific” correctly, she didn’t earn enough points in the preliminary round to move on to the semifinals. Frigorific means causing cold, or chilling.

Twitter called Matthews “cool as the other side of the pillow... #frigorific” for getting the word right.
Tamya’s profile on the spelling bee website says the aspiring actress loves TV, especially bing-watching Netflix shows and “Modern Family,” but is also an athlete.

“Tamya is also very focused on academics, and this fall she will be a Moreau scholar at her high school. In addition to playing basketball and softball, Tamya has earned a black belt in kung fu, and she loves drama and theater. An active participant in her school’s drama program, Tamya aspires to act professionally. Tamya previously participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2014.”

The championship round will be held Thursday evening. ESPN will broadcast the finals lives starting at 8 p.m. ET.

»Photo of Tamya Michelle Matthews, of Forestville, courtesy of Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee