Sedona’s top speller is getting ready for the Yavapai County spelling bee next month.

Remy Jaimes, 9, practiced his words daily for only a week before winning the West Sedona School Spelling Bee on Dec. 18. Before the event, the organizers sent out a list of words that could be asked during the competition.

“When he gets home, it was like ‘remember, we got to practice these words,’” Remy’s mom Priscilla Jaimes said. “So I would be cooking at the same time as I’m like ‘look at the words first, say them out loud so you can start recognizing the words,’ and then after that, I’m like, ‘OK, now, I’m going to test you.’”

Sometimes, she said, she’d pass the list to his dad and have him try to make it tricky.

When he spelled the winning word, “wooden,” during the competition, he said he broke it into syllables before spelling it out.

Winners go on to the county spelling bees, then the Arizona spelling bee and the national competition. The next event is the Yavapai County Spelling Bee, which is on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Phillip England Center for the Performing Arts at 210 Camp Lincoln Road in Camp Verde.

Remy usually attends at West Sedona School’s Extended-Day program, because his parents work full-time. While there’s always after-school activities to do, he also used the time to keep practicing his words.

“The Kiwanis sponsor our trophies and have been doing so for about 10 years and the prize money has been donated by retired teacher Linda Spokes, who has graciously been doing so for about the same time,” WSS spelling bee organizer Patty Falsetto wrote in an email.

The prize money was $75 for first place and $50 for second place. Spokes was the pronouncer at the spelling bee, which she has been doing for the past eight years.

While now a word-spelling wiz, Remy’s goals run far.

“Basketball, soccer, football and baseball,” he said he likes to play.

Remy said he wants to be a running back in football soon; one of his new year’s resolutions is to get more involved in sports. He’s played baseball the longest, but hasn’t played much recently, Priscilla said.

Remy’s favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs, and he wants to play football the most.

He also has a fondness for video games in his free time, he said, like Minecraft, Call of Duty and Fortnite.

It gets a bit crazy in her house, Priscilla said, Remy is the oldest of four — his siblings are 2, 3 and 5 — which means practicing for the spelling bee was difficult, but worth it.

“He’s really smart,” she said. “He’s a caring, loving kid, for sure. … And I hope that he can be the best at anything he wants to do.”

Remy said when he grows up, he wants to be a mechanic and work on cars.