Middle school students compete in 2019 spelling bee
Sixth- through eighth-grade students representing four area junior highs and middle schools competed in the 37th annual Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington Heights.
The first-place finisher was Joshua Daniel of St. Peter Lutheran School, Arlington Heights. The second-place finisher was Sofia Villaseñor of St. James Junior High School, Arlington Heights, and third place was Charlie O'Connor, also of St. James Junior High.
The bee lasted 14 rounds, and concluded when Joshua Daniel spelled both "fortnight" and "meteor" correctly to claim first place.
All three finalists have qualified to compete in the Regional Spelling Bee March 2 in Glenview, where the top three finishers of the Regional Bee will qualify for the state tournament in April.
Students participating in this year's spelling bee were:
From Arlington Heights: Charlie O'Connor and Sofia Villaseñor from St. James Junior High School; Joshua Daniel and Tommy Papaioannou from St. Peter Lutheran School; and Mahek Goel from Thomas Middle School.
From Rolling Meadows: Clara Lopez and Nikki Shim from St. Colette Catholic School.
The bee was hosted by Holy Rosary Council #4483 of Arlington Heights and co-sponsored with Our Lady of the Grove Council #13448. All public and private junior high and middle schools serving Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Rolling Meadows, and Wheeling were invited to send two representatives to participate.
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