Jonnen Messer withstood a grueling four-hour contest with 38 rounds of words to win the 35th annual European PTA Spelling Bee. His last two winning words were "stalactite" and "Istanbul." The fifth-grader at Ramstein Intermediate School at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, surprised himself in earlier rounds by correctly spelling some tricky words.
Simran Patibanda, an eighth-grader from Graham Park Middle School in Triangle, Virginia, is headed to the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the second time in three years. After finishing as runner-up last year, she worked hard to regain the top spot. She spelled “inter alia” to seal her victory at the 40th annual Prince William Regional Spelling Bee.
In Malheur County, Oregon, there is one top speller: Cadi Corn, a fifth-grader from Nyssa Elementary School. She was crowned winner over fellow students in grades one through eight after she correctly spelled "engulf." She won the trip to the national finals in addition to other prizes.
While wearing an event shirt with the slogan, "Bee Your Best Self," seventh-grader Nicolas Llorente was the best among his fellow spellers in the Greenburgh Central School District in White Plains, New York. This year, 24 students from Richard J. Bailey School and Woodlands Middle School competed for the trip to Washington, D.C.
Michael Goss, a student at St. Michael Catholic School in Crowley, Louisiana, will travel to Washington, D.C., for the third time this May after winning the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette/Arcadiana Spelling Bee. His winning word was "etymology."
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.