DuPage spelling champ heading to national competition
One super speller from DuPage County will be heading to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals May 28-30.
Richard Moraga, a Wood Dale resident in eighth grade at St. Pius X School in Lombard, was honored Thursday for winning the DuPage County spelling bee and earning a chance to compete nationally.
Richard and two others — suburban Cook County winner Alia Abiad, a Western Springs seventh-grader, and Will County winner Meghana Kamineni, a Lockport seventh-grader — were recognized for their achievements during a pep rally at the ComEd Commercial Center in Oak Brook.
In its sixth year sponsoring DuPage, Will and suburban Cook county spelling champions, ComEd will cover all expenses for Richard, Alia and Meghana and their families to attend the national spelling competition. If any local spellers make it to the finals, they will appear as the bee is broadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 30, on ESPN.