CINCINNATI — Spelling bee season is here and winners of Saturday's final regional competition at the Cincinnati Public Schools' Education Center will go on for a chance to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee later in the year.
Ohio spellers competed Saturday morning, followed by spellers from Indiana and Kentucky throughout the afternoon.
During Saturday's competition, sixth grader William "Liam" Bedinghaus secured his spot in the national bee when he successfully spelled the word "germanium." Bedinghaus said the element on the periodic table is familiar to him because he loves science.
Eighth grader Tara Rakesh will also head to the national competition after clinching the Kentucky and Indiana regional bee. She clinched her win by triumphing over the word "promontory."
Rakesh isn't a stranger to the competition; in 2022, she was one of two Tri-State girls who won their regional bee and traveled to the D.C. area in the hopes of hoisting the Scripps Cup. Rakesh made it to the third round of the competition, finishing tied for 89th place out of 234 spellers.
The 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place on May 28. More than 200 spellers across the country will travel to the Washington D.C. area for a chance to compete in the competition, which will be hosted at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
