Sunday, March 11, 2012

And the Salt Lake Valley Champion is.../Utah and the Bee

This is a first time a speller from Utah has made it to the National Spelling Bee twice since 2006-2007. The champion is Vismaya Kharkar! My friend told me that she was the champion! She began competing in 2009, and she advanced to nationals in 2011. Unfortunately, she did not advance to semifinals last year, but I have a strong feeling that she will this year!

It's not only Vismaya this year, but Jared Ward of Southeastern Utah made it back to nationals this year, too! There are two 2-peats from Utah this year (this has never happened)! Good luck, and I will be rooting for both of you!

I think the 2011-2012 Bees have had strong spellers from Utah! Last year, Anna-Marie Sprenger of Provo, Utah (Daily Herald), advanced to the semifinals, being the first speller from Utah to advance to that level ever since the beginning of the notorious written test in 2002. Unfortunately, she will not be able to return this year, because she is too old to compete. From 2009 and 2010, I remember that there were spellers who represented the same sponsor as Anna-Marie, who would still have a few more years to compete. I do not remember their names, but this year one is a seventh grader and the other is an eighth grader. If one of those two return to nationals, there will be three 2-peats.

The Bee will be very exciting this year!

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