Sanger student wins Fresno County Scripps Spell Off, makes it to national competition

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Spell Off took place Tuesday morning. Three competitions took place at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District on Tuesday, but only four finalists made it to the qualifying round.

"Those four competitors, they will compete for the Scripps National Bee," said Amy Alvarado with the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.

The four finalists that made it to the top are representing schools from Clovis Unified, Kingsburg Elementary Charter, and Sanger Unified.

Qualifying is no easy task.

"89 students from almost 30 different school districts across the county, and so those students have all competed at their local sites," said Lisa Swertfager with Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.

On Tuesday morning, the elementary students faced off, and two students advanced to the Scripps qualifying competition with the winning word: Chihuahua.

It was then time for junior high students to compete, and champions in Fresno County have a reputation for doing well on the big stage.

"Several years ago, we did have an actual national bee winner, so we do have that history and, in our county, so we are hoping to see that repeated this year," added Alvarado.

"We are going to send one speller to Washington, D.C., and like you called it, you said it was the Super Bowl of spelling; the Scripps National Spelling Bee is a big deal," explained Swertfager.

That competition wrapped up with the winner, Aarav Mann from Washington Academic Middle School in Sanger, who won by spelling the word neuropathy.

He will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.

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