Saachi Sharma, an eighth-grader from Duval County schools was crowned regional champion at the 74th annual First Coast Spelling Bee in Jacksonville, Florida. New sponsors, Jacksonville Sports Council and WJXT-TV, partnered for the event. Saachi correctly spelled "methodically" to win the title and advance to the national finals.
It is a different school for Gabriel Ennin this year, but the outcome is the same for the spelling bee veteran. The eighth-grader won the Will County Regional Spelling Bee by besting 46 other competitors. This time, he will represent Heritage Grove Middle School in Plainfield, Illinois, at his third national finals.
Michael Sun, an eighth-grader from South Pacific Academy in Tafuna, American Samoa, won after a suspenseful competition at the 24th Annual Samoa News Territorial Spelling Bee. He correctly spelled "joyous" to win the top prize of a trip to the national finals. The contest involved 31 students and lasted 24 rounds.
Henry Iverson, a sixth-grader from Rocky Mountain Middle School in Heber City, Utah, made an appropriate "Boy Genius" shirt selection for his winning performance at The Park Record Spelling Bee. Even after spelling "poinsettia" correctly, he said he was still surprised to win over 41 other spellers from the area.
Ranitha Kumarasinghe, a sixth-grader from Orange Grove Charter Middle School in Charleston, South Carolina, raised his arms in triumph when he spelled his winning word, "topeng," with confidence. He credits nightly study sessions with his parents in helping him win the SpellBound Regional Spelling Bee, sponsored by The Post and Courier.
Matthew Dufour, a fifth-grader at Superior Intermediate School in Ashtabula, Ohio, won the Browns Give Back Tri-County Spelling Bee in Cleveland. Matthew will represent Geauga, Lake and Ashtabula counties at the national finals. The Cleveland Browns organization joins the Tennessee Titans as the two NFL teams supporting local spelling bee programs.
Nathan Estep is the youngest in his family of talented spellers. His win at the regional spelling bee in Winchester, Virginia, makes it five Estep siblings to earn nine total trips to the national finals. He is in the eighth grade and his home-schooled. The regional event is sponsored by the Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley.
By winning the Columbiana County Spelling Bee in Lisbon, Ohio, Justus Black, a sixth-grader from Southern Local Schools, became the fourth member of his family to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He outlasted his older brother, Silas, who was in the national finals last year. Justus wore his lucky T-shirt on his first try at the regional event, which he won with "rhetoric."
Robert Gorlach, an eighth-grade student at Piedmont Community Charter School in Gastonia, North Carolina, won The Gaston Gazette Spelling Bee on his first appearance at the regional level. He clinched the title with two consecutive words: “intensify” and “broaches.” He prepared by reviewing words with his father over the past several months.
Chloe Holoman, an eighth-grader from Royalton, Minnesota, is the first from her school to win the Lakes Spelling Bee. She admits her toughest word was "persistent," but her championship word was "einkorn.” There were 30 participants in the Central Minnesota competition, and Chloe won in the 10th round.