Jacob Williamson, the 2014 bee finalist whose high energy made him a fan favorite, returned to the auditorium this week to cheer on his friends.He and other former spellers could be heard shrieking in the audience Wednesday when the semifinalists’ names were announced. Jacob said he was particularly thrilled for Katharine Wang, speller 284, a four-time competitor who didn’t think she made the semifinals.But Jacob will be rooting for Dev Jaiswal, speller 132, who last competed in the bee in 2012. “He could pull this off,” Jacob said of his friend. Dev got a perfect score on the written portion of the preliminary test. “I couldn’t be more proud of him.”Jacob said he misses participating in the bee, but that the opportunity it provided him – and the fame he garnered because of his enthusiasm – have all been worth it. “Now that I’ve gotten too old to spell, I can live it through these guys,” he said. “It’s so exciting, so thrilling. I love the suspense of the bee."Dev spelled "naranjilla" correctly, and will be a finalist.
