Daniel Larsen enjoyed last year's national finals so much, he was motivated to repeat as champion of the Indiana University Bee in Bloomington, Indiana. He wore his favorite lucky shirt as he correctly spelled "peccadillo" and "recidivist" to win the regional event and advance to D.C. The regional sponsor is IU's Media School and School of Education.
Brian Kenny, an Onondaga Hill Middle School eighth-grader, is following in his sister's footsteps after he won the 2018 Post-Standard | WCNY | Syracuse.com Spelling Bee. It was a marathon battle lasting more than 30 rounds before he correctly spelled "prosciutto" to win.
Ryan Himmelsbach, a 13-year-old from Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School in the Three Village school district in East Setauket, New York, is returning to the national finals after winning the Hofstra University regional bee. He was thrilled to not hear the ring of the bell when he correctly spelled “teleost.”
Fifth-grader Bao Pham from Birch Elementary School in Broomfield, Colorado, won the Barnes & Noble Spelling Bee by correctly spelling "pyroclastic." Editorial note: Bao and his fellow spellers get an additional round of applause from us for their fantastic Bee competition t-shirts.
Jordi De Jong, a student at Villa Maria Academy, did not waste her second chance opportunity to win the Chester County Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Chester County Intermediate Unit. She correctly spelled preposterous and vamplate to win the title.
Nicole Patrao is the winner of the 2018 Olathe Spelling Bee. She is an eighth-grader at Chisholm Trail Middle School. The Kansas City Star is the sponsor for that region. She offered up helpful advice — “The key is always to ask for as much information as you can, even if you know the word.”
The third time was the charm for Nathaniel Stone to win the Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee in Jamaica. The 11-year-old from Glenmuir High School correctly spelled "orotund" to take the title. He credits his mother for inspiring him to continue spelling and to achieve.
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The champion smiling!
Eighth-grader Abby Zheng of Johnsonville Middle School had the sweetest reaction to winning her regional bee in Florence, South Carolina. She won with her correct spelling of “sukiyaki.” The Pee Dee Education Center was the title host and had added support from the Florence County Bar Association and Francis Marion University.
After 21 rounds, Lannien Dunn, a fifth-grade student from Bear River Charter School, was crowned champion after properly spelling “turbines.” This was the first unified regional bee for several charter schools in northern Utah.