It took 21 rounds for Calvin Franke, a seventh-grader from Plum Grove Junior High School in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, to earn a championship title and a trip to Washington, D.C. He won the 8th ISC Regional Championship, sponsored by Commonwealth Edison, with "ethology."

Photo credit: Community Consolidated School District 15

It was a record-setting performance for seventh-grader Rebekah Zeigler — her fourth spelling championship at the Lee-Ogle-Whiteside Regional Spelling Bee, sponsored by Sauk Valley Media, in Dixon, Illinois. The Aplington Middle School student had tough competition including her younger brother, Gabe, who finished third. She won with "vamplate."

Photo credit: Michael Krabbenhoeft, Sauk Valley Media

It was more than six hours of spelling drama before Jaskarn Singh, an eighth-grader at Alpine Vista School in Visalia, California, got his championship word — a word he knew — "vamplate." He decided to give spelling a try because he thought it would be fun. After many late nights of studying, he told the Visalia Times-Delta, "I feel like I’ve done something that not a lot of people have done.” 

Photo credit: Ron Holman, Visalia Times-Delta

Daniel Healy put his hands to his face in amazement after winning the 38th Annual Dispatch-Argus Regional Spelling Bee in Rock Island, Illinois. The 12-year-old had to out-spell 54 other competitors to earn a return trip to the national finals. 

Photo credit: Meg McLaughlin, The Dispatch-Argus

Sophia Grierson wore the medal around her neck proudly after winning the Ludington Daily News Community Spelling Bee in Ludington, Michigan. She is a student at Ludington Area Catholic School. She won in the 10th round by correctly spelling "sukiyaki." She was on stage with 53 other top spellers, including her younger sister.

11-year-old Rena Eberhardt persevered and, after 19 rounds, won in Kadena Elementary School's first Scripps National Spelling Bee to secure a spot in Tokyo for Japan's final Scripps National Spelling bee competition. Rena had to spell 'facilitate" to advance to the final round and then correctly spell "exenuate" to become Kadena Elementary's spelling champ. Rena is excited to compete in Tokyo next month we wish her luck!

An 11-year-old contestant in Kadena Elementary School's first Scripps National Spelling Bee won by correcting the word " then successfully spelling the final word ". Rena was elated that she earned a trip to Tokyo to compete in the final round of Japan's national spelling bee.

Ainsley Boucher of Crookston, Minnesota, has earned a return trip to the national finals after winning the Minnesota spelling bee. The eighth-grader from Crookston High School spelled “irides” correctly. In addition to her spelling talents, she plays the violin and alto saxophone.

Photo credit: Crookston Times

Caroline Otto, 13, of Baileyville, Illinois, credited her parents for help in preparing for the 36th annual regional bee at Pearl City Schools. She is homeschooled by her mom, and her dad helped quiz her every night on her spelling. She won in the 19th round with "dyslexia." 

Photo credit: Jane Lethlean/The Journal-Standard