Benjamin Reinhard, an eighth-grader from Maranatha Christian School in 4S Ranch, won the San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee Thursday, correctly spelling "kenosis" in the 23rd round.
He will represent San Diego County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C., area in late May.
The competition began with 78 spellers in the crowded gymnasium at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA in San Diego. By the end of round two, 36 spellers remained. At the end of round three, just 17 were left.
"Our brave Spelling Bee competitors showed their determination, skill, and love of literacy at the competition today," said Gloria E. Ciriza, San Diego County superintendent of schools. "The County Office of Education is so proud to support this incredible event and cheer on each student who won at their schools."
The final two competitors faced off for 13 rounds. Alyssa Meulemans, an eighth-grader from Saint Columba School, is the alternative in case Reinhard is not able to compete at the national level.
The San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee celebrates school- site spelling bee winners in grades 6 through 8 from public, parochial, and independent schools throughout the county. This was the second year the regional bee included a vocabulary round where students had to identify the definition of a word on their turn.
San Diego's representative at the Scripps National Spelling Bee last year, Duaa Ouznali, was eliminated in the fifth round on a vocabulary question.
Ouznali, at the time a 13-year-old eighth-grader at Bright Horizon Academy in San Diego, was asked, "Something described as temporal" and selected "has simplicity and charm." The correct answer was "relates to time as opposed to eternity."
She was among 15 spellers eliminated in the fifth round as the field was reduced to 73. She tied for 74th.
Duaa qualified for the national bee last year by winning by the county bee, correctly spelling `droshky,' a public carriage used in Russia, to end the 27-round competition.
San Diego County has produced two national spelling bee champions — Anurag Kashyap in 2005 and Snigdha Nandipati in 2012.
