In Georgia, it all came down to one competition to determine who would advance to the national finals. From thousands of spellers across the state, there were just 20 in the 57th Annual Georgia Association of Educators State Spelling Bee. Kyu Alegre, a seventh-grader from Carrollton Junior High in Carrollton City, emerged as the winner.
In her third appearance at the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence Regional Spelling Bee in Watertown, New York, Ali VanTassel, a sixth-grader from Indian River, won by correctly spelling “chronology.” A total of 21 students in grades four through eight competed in the 30th year of the regional competition.
After four hours of spelling at the North Jersey Spelling Bee, Tai Nakamura, a sixth-grader from Patrick M. Villano Elementary School in Emerson, claimed the title and supersized trophy by correctly spelling "strabismus." The competition, in its 81st year, began the event with 100 spellers.
Co-champions have emerged from the Lake County Regional Spelling Bee in Grayslake, Illinois. After several rounds of spelling between the final two spellers, the coordinators announced co-champions. Sharanya Pastapur of Lake Zurich Middle School, and Anmol Dash from Daniel Wright Junior High School, both eighth-graders, now advance to the national finals.
Pacific Trails Middle School eighth-grader Kevin Luo took first place at the San Diego Union-Tribune Countywide Spelling Bee, becoming the second student in a row from Carmel Valley Middle School to win. His former classmate and last year's champion gave Kevin some helpful advice on study strategies. His winning word was “gradine.”
Sri Nemmani, an eighth-grader at Page Middle School in Franklin, Tennessee, will represent his school and his community when he competes at the national finals. About 70 spellers from across the state gathered at the Tennessee Titans' stadium. The top two spellers advanced. Sri won the event by spelling "khedive." In addition to spelling he loves to read and play table tennis.
Correctly spelling the word “Vatican” made Lowell Torola, an eighth-grader at Washington Middle School in Calumet, Michigan, the winner of the Upper Peninsula Community Education Association’s Spelling Bee. He said his family is known as the "Spelling Torolas." Other family members have advanced to the national finals in the past.
It took nearly 30 rounds of competition, but Daniel Sibincic, an eighth-grader at Taft Middle School in Crown Point, Indiana, stayed calm under pressure to win the Kankakee Valley REMC Regional Spelling Bee. In his first appearance in the regional spelling competition, he correctly spelled "cambio" to win. He also competes in geography and science contests.
Kara Willson, an eighth-grader from East Wenatchee, Washington, took home the top prize at the North Central Washington Regional Spelling Bee. The competition included 44 students in grades four through eight from area schools. The winning word for Kara was “recidivist.” The program is sponsored by the Washington Apple Education Foundation.
Mera Moucharrafie, a seventh-grader at Belvidere Central Middle School in Illinois, overcame her nerves to win the 35th annual Boone Winnebago Regional Spelling Bee. She bested 30 other spellers and won with the final two words: "apartheid" and "peccadillo." In addition to her spelling talents, she loves to run with the school's cross country and track teams.