Speed Test Results – By Allie Hall
In Atlanta we held our second SITC speed contest. This year we decided to have a speed contest and a super speed contest. The speed contest consisted of one five-minute literary take at 220 wpm, one five-minute jury charge take at 260 wpm, and one five-minute Q&A take at 280 wpm. The super speed contest consisted of one five-minute Q&A take at 320 wpm. Nine contestants signed up for the contests and eight competed. Five transcribed, and here are the results:
220 wpm Literary:
First Place – Patricia Nilsen with 19 errors and 98.273 percent.
Second Place – Karen Tyler with 31 errors and 97.182 percent.
Third Place – Ron Cook with 34 errors and 96.909 percent.
Fourth Place – Rose Detloff with 50 errors and 95.455 percent.
260 wpm Jury Charge:
First Place – Patricia Nilsen with 33 errors and 97.461 percent.
Second Place – Karen Tyler with 51 errors and 96.077 percent.
Third Place – Rose Detloff with 64 errors and 95.076 percent.
280 wpm Testimony:
First Place – Karen Tyler with 63 errors and 95.500 percent.
Second Place – Patricia Nilsen with 69 errors and 95.071 percent.
Speed Contest Overall:
First Place – Patricia Nilsen with 96.935 percent.
Second Place – Karen Tyler with 96.253 percent.
Super Speed Contest:
First Place – Mark Kislingbury with 42 errors and 97.375 percent.
Second Place – Patricia Nilsen with 73 errors and 95.437 percent.
Third Place – Karen Tyler qualified for two full minutes.
Karen’s score for the entire five-minute take was 93.437.
This past April I attended my first (of hopefully many!) Fearless Stenographers conference. I was intrigued when I saw there would be a “Super Speed” contest of 320 wpm. I’d never heard of speeds that high. It turns out the reason I’d never heard of them was because it had never been done before! I didn’t know until I got there that I would have a chance to make history! I’ve done the NCRA contests in the past, and also a few of the Intersteno contests, and I know that a lot goes into making them work. Everything ran smoothly, and I was so impressed (and also excited when I heard my name called as having qualified on the Super Speed!). I didn’t set out to break a record when I signed up, but I was thrilled to have that opportunity. My mother passed away in late 2021, and I’d been struggling to find any motivation for anything for over a year. Signing up for this contest gave me something to strive for, and it was a big deal for me personally. I also want to say attending the awards luncheon was exciting and inspiring not just to hear my own name called, but to hear about the other amazing reporters who were honored. This conference highlights the achievements of veteran reporters, but also shines a light on the future of our profession. I cannot wait to return!
Patricia Neilsen