Elijah Elledge Named Regional Spelling Bee Champion

On a beautiful winter evening, 22 spellers from south central Minnesota competed Feb. 20 in the South Central Service Cooperative Regional Spelling Bee, a qualifier for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The participating fifth through eighth grade students had previously won their local bees.

After 8 rounds, Elijah Elledge, a sixth grade student from Immanuel Lutheran School was named champion after correctly spelling “vanquish” as the championship word. Elledge was awarded a medal; a trophy; a subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, Epic Family and Tynker coding classes; a mint proof set; a prize pack from the Minnesota Service Cooperatives; and travel expenses and accommodations to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Hudson Clayton, a sixth grader from St. John Vianney School in Fairmont, finished in second place after a two round spell-off with Bailey O’Brian from Loyola Catholic School in Mankato.

The SCSC bee was made possible by generous sponsorships from South Central Service Cooperative, The Minnesota Service Cooperatives, Lathrop GPM, Medica, WEX, South Central College, Mankato Kiwanis Club, Merriam-Webster, Encyclopedia Britannica, Samuel Louis Sugarman, epic! and Tynker.

In addition to improving students’ spelling skills and increasing their vocabularies, spelling bee participation provides valuable experience in developing poise – a necessary skill for success in public speaking, performing arts and athletics.

Full spelling bee results:

1st – Elijah Elledge, Immanuel Lutheran School

2nd – Hudson Clayton, St. John Vianney School

3rd – Bailey O’Brien, Loyola Catholic School

4th – Erika Eilertson, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton

5th (tie) – Anya Stoll, St. Peter Lutheran School and Leo Detloff, Truman School District

6th (tie) – Dylan Lunz, Comfrey Public School; Brea Ervin, Fairmont Elementary School; Tabitha Barkosky, Maple River Public School; Anna Devine, Most Holy Redeemer School; Kalissa Dorn, Nicollet Public School; Kaelyn Ellis, St. James Middle School; Eden Carlovsky, St. Paul’s Lutheran School; and Lillie Lassahn, Tri-City United Public Schools

7th – Aria Baune, Kato Public Charter School

8th (tie) – Gabriel Petersen, Blue Earth Area Middle School and Vannah Madsen, Granada Huntley East Chain

9th (tie) – Logan Baker, Cleveland Public Schools; Annabelle Watson, Fairmont Jr./Sr. High School; Isaiah Junker, Mountain Lake Public Schools; Jack Peterson, New Ulm Area Catholic Schools; and Taya Bastian, Sleepy Eye Public Schools

Also qualifying but not able to participate: Avery Norsten, Bridges Community School