Pranathi Jammula, a 12-year-old from Kealing Middle School in Austin, Texas, is the winner of the city's first regional spelling bee competition. A total of 47 spellers from 10 central Texas counties competed in the event. The West Austin Chamber of Commerce hosted the event.
In his first experience at the regional level, Abhinav Palle, a 13-year-old from Abington Heights Middle School in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, won the 34th Times Leader Spelling Bee. His winning word was "de facto." Abhinav said he has been working on his spelling by reading more books and having his parents quiz him.
For the first time in at least 40 years, there are two Wisconsin spelling bee champions. Hanna Ghouse, an eighth-grader at KTEC-West in Kenosha, and Immanuel Goveas, a fifth-grader from Riverside Elementary School in Menomonee Falls, were crowned co-champions of the 2018 Badger State Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal. For many years, Wisconsin has advanced the top three spellers. Runner-up Maya Jadhav, a fourth-grader at Madison’s Eagle School, will join Hanna and Immanuel at the national finals.
Charity Jordan, an eighth-grader at La Conner Middle School in Washington, is heading back to the national finals for the third time after winning the 2018 Skagit Regional Spelling Bee. She eagerly anticipates a reunion with spelling friends from across the country. Her winning words were "entomologist" and "de facto."
Aaron Ehsan, a fifth-grader at Dudley Elementary School in Victoria, Texas, is continuing the family tradition, started by his brothers, of excelling at spelling. He won the regional spelling bee in the 51st round by correctly spelling "anschluss." Aaron's oldest brother competed in the national finals in 2010.
Nathaniel Rimocal, a third-grader from Kennedy-Zapata Elementary School in Laredo, Texas, won the Laredo Morning Times regional spelling bee. His winning word was "dyslexia."
In the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee, co-champions Naysa Modi, a seventh-grader at Reynolds Middle School, and Abhijay Kodali, a fifth-grader at Liberty Elementary School, exhausted the list of words. The Dallas Sports Commission intended to send the top two spellers to the national finals, so after 27 rounds of competition, the last two students were named co-champions. This will be the fourth appearance in the national finals for Naysa and the first for Abhijay. Naysa finished seventh in the nation in 2017.
Sophia Roberto, a sixth-grader at the Philadelphia Academy Charter School, won the 24th annual Philadelphia Tribune Regional Spelling Bee. This was her first appearance in the regional competition. She said participating and winning takes time and dedication. She said she sacrificed other things to put the bee first, but was so happy that she won.
A try, try and try again strategy paid off for Akansha Nanda, a sixth-grader from Carlos Gilbert Elementary School in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who beat out 45 competitors from around the state to become the winner of the 2018 New Mexico Spelling Bee. She won in the 15th round of this year’s competition by correctly spelling the championship word "Mozambique."
For 30 rounds, Colin Aponte, a 13-year-old home-schooled student from Blue Hill, Maine, calmly and confidently spelled every word in the 2018 Maine State Spelling Bee. Colin watched his brother win the same event in 2013. He said he studies spelling lists every night, and he advances to the national finals with "crescendo."