Press Release
After twenty-three rounds of intense spelling challenges, Mont Harmon Middle School eighth grader Cadi Heaton emerged as the first place winner in this year’s SESC Regional Spelling Bee. The spelling bee was held at Green River High School on March 11. Second place went to fifth grader Ollie Jeppesen from Blanding Elementary, who battled Miss Heaton for eleven rounds until misspelling the word catalyst. Heaton’s winning word was disjunct. Third place was captured by Margaret L. Hopkins seventh grader, Niomi Kelly.
The top three Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan District, plus Pinnacle Academy spellers, grades four through eight, advanced to the Region Bee from their local school and district bees held earlier this year. The spelling was overseen by pronouncer Jessie Magleby, Grand County Public Library, and SESC judges Johnna Boyack and JoLynn Torgerson.
As the champion, Heaton received a trophy, an all-expense paid trip for two to the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee Week, along with The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award. She also won one year of Britannica Online Premium and access to valuable online study resources. Second and third place spellers received a trophy, and all other participants received a plaque of recognition for making it to the regional bee. The 2024 Scripps Spelling Bee will be held in Washington D.C. from May 26 to June 1.
Carbon District competitors were Cadi Heaton – Mont Harmon Middle 8th grade, Asher Thayn – Mont Harmon Middle 7th grade and Raychel Riche – Sally Mauro Elementary 5th grade.
Emery District spellers were Maxwell Sorenson – San Rafael Middle 8th grade, Joleene Keisel- Canyon View Middle 7th grade and AnnaBelle Jeffs- Castle Dale Elementary 5th grade
Grand District spellers were Flint Lugers – Margaret L. Hopkin Middle 8th, Niomi Kelly – Margaret L. Hopkin Middle 7th grade, Coral Cameron Kelly – Margaret L. Hopkin Middle 7th grade
San Juan District spellers were Jeraden Hurst – Alfred R. Lyman Middle 8th, Jade Bradford – Alfred R. Lyman Middle 7th and Ollie Jeppesen- Blanding Elementary 5th grade
Pinnacle Canyon Academy sent Kaiden Chavira of 8th grade, Colton Day of 6th grade and Louie Martinez, 5th grade.
The Scripps Bee is the nation’s largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company and 291 sponsors in the United States, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Guam, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Ghana, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
The Bee’s purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. It is broadcast on Bounce TV and Ion Television.