At only 8 years old, Praneeth Devireddy is quite the spelling machine. The third-grader at Coddle Creek Elementary in Mooresville, North Carolina, wowed the crowd with his spelling efficiency, including his final two words — "laterite" and "horotelic" — to win the 78th annual Winston-Salem Journal Regional Spelling Bee.
Ryan Presler, a seventh-grader from Brandon Valley Middle School in Brandon, South Dakota, was determined to not be the runner-up again at the University of South Dakota Spelling Bee. His preparation was focused and the hard work enabled him to reach his goal— winning a spot in the national finals. His final winning word was "theomachy."
Autumn Reeves, a sixth-grader from Forest Area Middle School in Traverse City, Michigan, dedicated time and effort to reach the regional event this year, after falling short in 2017. She did more than reach it — she won it. She was confident with most of the words, including those in the final rounds. In addition to the spelling competition, she'd like to see the White House while in D.C.
On his fourth trip to the Oakland Schools Scripps Regional Spelling Bee, Rahul Reddy, an eighth-grader at Notre Dame Preparatory Academy in Pontiac, Michigan, decided, this time, not to study so much. With the pressure off, he rose to the occasion to win by correctly spelling “notabilia.” For his collective years of effort, he earns a trip to the national finals.
Samantha Ho, a Thornburg Middle School sixth-grader in Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, did not want to repeat as runner-up in the 13th annual Fredericksburg Spelling Bee. When she had her opportunity, she correctly spelled "“chrysanthemum” and "amphivorous" to win the large trophy and a trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Jenna Ng, a fifth-grader from New Covenant Schools in Lynchburg, Virginia, had plenty of skill to go with her beginner's luck in her first appearance at The News & Advance’s Regional Spelling Bee. She and her fellow spellers did their best to avoid the dreaded bell. On the 300th word, Jenna correctly spelled "version" to advance to the national finals.
Jared Mueller, a sixth-grader at Cedar Bluff Middle School in Knoxville, Tennessee, could hardly contain his excitement after winning the News Sentinel Southern Appalachia Regional Spelling Bee. In his fourth appearance at the event, and after his second-place finish last year, he was motivated to win. His winning word was "Talmud."
Lohith Chatragadda, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School in Rhode Island, cracked a smile after winning the Rhode Island State Spelling Bee. The contest lasted 27 rounds and is on the books as one of the longest in the state's history. The Valley Breeze sponsored the event held at Lincoln Middle School.
Kabir Rathore Muthu started with "bagel," and three hours later he won the Oregon Regional Spelling Bee with "hesperid." The seventh-grader from Access Academy in Portland considered himself lucky to get words he knew. The competition, sponsored by the Portland Tribune, took place at the Hollywood Theatre.
Tanvi Rakesh is enjoying quite a winning streak. The fifth-grader from Longbranch Elementary School in Union, Kentucky, has won five school bees in a row and is now a repeat national finalist. She won the WCPO 9 On Your Side Kentucky/Indiana competition with the word "canoa." WCPO sends two regional winners to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.