A student at Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach won the 46th annual San Diego County Spelling Bee today by correctly spelling "fuliginous."
By getting the adjective meaning "sooty" or "dusky" right, Oona Flood outlasted three other competitors who made it to the final round at the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. A total of more than 100 seventh- and eighth-grade students took part in the event.
Oona will represent San Diego County in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.
In 2012, Snigdha Nandipati of Francis Parker School in Linda Vista won the national competition.
Giabao Tonthat of Heritage K-8 Charter School in Escondido was San Diego County's representative the following year. Allison Grace Grygar of Scripps Ranch was last year's winner.
David Hay, an adjunct professor of English and the coordinator of international faculty programs at the University of San Diego, served as the "bee master" for the 34th year.
