PHOENIX — A chance for academic glory looms later this month as Arizona’s top qualifiers compete in the state’s spelling bee.
Twenty-seven students in grades 3 through 8 will face off March 18 at the Madison Center for the Arts near 16th Street and Missouri Avenue.
The winners will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30-June 1 in National Harbor, Maryland. The final day will be broadcast live.
The winner of the National Bee Competition will receive a grand prize of $50,000.
Last year’s statewide winner was sixth grader Aaliyah Alpert, who was homeschooled in Prescott.
Alpert made it to the final of the National Bee and finished ninth.
she misspelled the word “”Ajibika” in the opening round of the final.
Alpert is not among this year’s 27 students.
The group of top qualifiers was narrowed down from the first 485,000 competing Arizona students.
Classroom, grade, school-wide, district, and county/regional bees were held prior to statewide bees.
About half of the Spellers are from Metro Phoenix. Here is the full list of spellers:
• Shahasrad Balaji, Grade 4, Age 9, Basis Peoria Elementary School, Basis Charter School, Maricopa County Region 4
• Aanandi Dutta, 4th Grade, Age 9, Kyrene de los Cerritos, Kyrene School District, Maricopa County, Region 1
• Anthony Estrella, Grade 7, Age 12, Legacy Traditional School, Legacy Traditional School, Maricopa County Region 5
• Annabelle Gamez, Grade 8, Age 13, Safford Middle School, Safford Consolidated District, Graham County
• Catalina Garcia, 7th grade, age 12, Fairbanks Middle School, Morenci Unified School District, Greenlee County
• Isabell Gavin, 8th grade, age 13, Veritas Christian Community School, Independent Charter School, Cochise County
• Zane Gibbs, 8th grade, age 13, Blue Ridge Middle School, Blue Ridge Unified School District, Navajo County
• Ethan Greenwood, Grade 8, Age 13, Coyote Hills Elementary School, Peoria Unified School District, Maricopa County Region 4
• Calliope Hill, Grade 6, Age 11, Montessori School of Flagstaff, American Montessori Society, Coconino County
• Kimora Holloway, 7th Grade, Age 13, Maricopa Virtual Academy, Maricopa Unified School District, Pinal County
• Alrick James, 4th Grade, Age 9, Estrella Foothills Global Academy, Laveen School District, Maricopa County Region 3
• Asiya Kabir, 6th Grade, Age 11, Arizona Cultural Academy, Independent Charter School, Maricopa County Region 1
• Ishana Karthik, Grade 5, Age 10, Adam’s Traditional Academy, A Choice Academies School, Maricopa County Region 2
• Ethan Knudson, Grade 7, Age 13, Masada Charter School, Independent Charter School, Mojave County.
• Sai Manvik Malreddy, Grade 8, Age 13, Explorer Middle School, Paradise Valley Unified School District, Maricopa County Region 2
• Nathan Merrill, Grade 8, Age 13, Legacy Traditional School – Northwest Tucson, Legacy Traditional School District, Pima County
• Opal Mishra, Grade 6, Age 12, Basha Accelerated Middle School, Chandler Unified School District, Maricopa County Region 6
• Marcelina Olivarez, Grade 5, Age 10, Copper Rim Elementary, Globe Unified School, District, Gila County
• Karen Opoku-Appoh, Grade 8, Age 13, Marana Middle School, Marana Unified School District, Pima County.
• Regina Luscon, Grade 7, Age 11, Bogle Middle School, Chandler Unified School District, Maricopa County Region 6
• Daniel Renteria, 8th grade, age 14, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, Tuscon Parish, Yuma County
• Jacob Schliekelman, Grade 3, Age 8, Ehrenberg Elementary School, La Paz County, Quartzsite Elementary School District
• Yug Sonawane, 8th Grade, Age 12, Phoenix Country Day School, Independent Charter School, Maricopa County Region 3
• Khalista Talingdan, Grade 8, Age 13, Verado Middle School, Litchfield Elementary School District, Maricopa County Region 5
• Alan Tryon, 8th Grade, Age 13, St. John’s Middle School, St. John’s Unified School District, Apache County
• Miguel Valenzuela, 7th grade, age 12, Wade Carpenter Middle School, Nogales Unified School District, Santa Cruz County.
• Shaelyn Van Doren, 7th Grade, Age 11, Franklin Phonetic School, Independent Charter School, Yavapai County
