Photo credit: Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee
In recognition of regional spelling bee competitions across the country and in other parts of the world, we are showcasing a few of the local contests. In this eighth and final week, we are checking in with California, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont and the Virgin Islands. Winners of these events advance to compete in the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
In Fresno, Achuth Vinay is making a name for himself as the winner of the Fresno County Spelling Bee. The fourth-grader is the younger brother of 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion Ananya Vinay. Achuth correctly spelled “bowstave” to earn a spot in this year’s national finals.
In the Fresno Bee’s coverage of the 25th annual event, Achuth said he studied two hours a day for the competition, and that he’s excited to go to D.C. Ananya has been coaching her brother as well as other students at Fugman Elementary School.
Photo credit: Jim Thompson/
Albuquerque Journal
Hard work and long hours of studying also paid off for 14-year-old Eliana Juarez, who took first place in the 2019 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico Spelling Bee.
The eighth-grader, from Mountain View Middle School in Rio Rancho, competed with 51 other students in the event, which lasted more than four hours. Eliana won the 72nd annual spelling bee with her winning word, “tardigrade.” She is the first student from her area to advance to the national finals.
After placing second in the regional competition last year, she worked diligently this year to prepare. She told the Albuquerque Journal, “It’s extremely stressful, very high pressure, because the smallest mistake will just disqualify you for the next levels.”
Photo credit: Ronald Gray/Tribune
At the Philadelphia Tribune Regional Spelling Bee in Pennsylvania, 24 students competed onstage for a list of prizes, including an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Sadie Leary, from Cedarbrook Middle School, correctly spelled “precipice” to claim the trip, a laptop computer and other prizes.
She commented to the Tribune, which has sponsored the event since 1994, “It’s a pretty crazy experience. I am excited for the national spelling bee.”
The program is open to students in grades five through eight. The sponsor held a separate competition for the youngest students and called it the Fifth Grade Spelldown.
Photo credit: Mike Dougherty/VTDigger.com
In his last year of eligibility, Raghav Dhandi hopes to make the most of his return trip to the national finals. The eighth-grader from Main Street Middle School in Montpelier, Vermont, won his regional competition for the second straight year. He and the second-place finisher, Grace Casey, had a 22-round battle before Raghav won by correctly spelling “hyperbole.”
As a returning national finalist, Raghav knows what to expect this year. He told event sponsor VTDigger.com, “I was somewhat unprepared, but this year, I’ll be better.” His goal is to advance to the Thursday Finals. He also added that he’s looking forward to reconnecting with friends he met last year.
Photo credit: Virgin Islands Consortium
Competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee will be an entirely new experience for the champion of the 46th annual Virgin Islands Territorial Intermediate Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Virgin Islands Daily News. Michael Atwell, from Good Hope Country Day School, correctly spelled “lexigraphy” in the 13th round of competition.
Michael said he is thrilled to have the chance to compete in the U.S. Even though it’s his first time advancing this far, he has a very mature strategy. He told the Virgin Islands Consortium, “For the Scripps National Spelling Bee, what I’m going to try to do is keep calm and stay confident. I’ll take my time on every single word to get everything right.”
This is our final weekly summary of local spelling bee competitions in 2019. Check out our recent blog posts for the stories of other spellers advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Bee Week is May 26-June 1 in National Harbor, Maryland. Tune in to ESPN on Thursday, May 30, for the primetime finals, which will determine the 2019 National Champion.
Click on the links below to read the full stories from this week’s spelling bee recap:
Albuquerque Journal New Mexico Spelling Bee