Bri'el Kashiwamura, a seventh-grader from Hawai'i Baptist Academy, won the Honolulu District Spelling Bee yesterday at Sacred Hearts Academy.

She is the daughter of Eric and Teri Kashiwamura.

In Round 6, Kashiwamura was the only speller to successfully spell a word among the five remaining spellers. She spelled ingot, a mass of metal cast into a convenient shape for storage or transportation and to be later remelted for casting.

In Round 7, the championship round, Kashiwamura correctly spelled actuary, one trained in mathematics and statistics whose business it is to calculate insurance and annuity premiums, reserves or dividends, to clinch the title.

The bee continued in Round 8 with four spellers to determine a second-place winner.

In Round 9, with only two spellers remaining, 'Iolani School eighth-grader Logan Davis correctly spelled promulgate.

Davis emerged as the runner-up when he successfully spelled magniloquent in Round 10. Davis is the son of Margo Edwards and Roger Davis.

Kashiwamura and Davis both advance to the state spelling bee.

Spelling champions from 84 schools are competing in seven district spelling bees through February. The winner and runner-up from each district bee qualify for The Honolulu Advertiser's 24th Hawai'i State Spelling Bee, set for March 15 at Windward Community College's Paliku Theatre.

The state champion will receive a trip for two to Washington, D.C., and represent Hawai'i in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. The winner also will be awarded a $100 U.S. savings bond from Jay Sugarman.

One district bee remains, the Hawai'i District bee, set for 2 p.m. Feb. 28 in Honoka'a.