BELLBROOK — A Bellbrook man sculpted the championship trophy given out to the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday night.
Gary Simon sculpted the trophy after it was designed by artists at Rookwood Pottery based in Cincinnati.
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The custom-designed trophy was first presented to the winner of the spelling contest in 2019.
Simon is a master sculptor and mold maker for Rookwood Pottery and also has made other pieces including pieces based on Fiona the Hippo from the Cincinnati Zoo.
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, of Harvey, Louisiana, won the event in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, becoming only the second Black champion in the bee’s 96-year history.
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