Moreno Valley the spot for 35th annual spelling bee

The 35^th Annual Riverside County Spelling Bee will be held Wednesday, March 21 at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center, 14075 Frederick St., Moreno Valley.

The competition starts at 9 a.m.

The event is co-sponsored by The Press-Enterprise newspaper and the Riverside County Office of Education.

This year, 26 spellers will be participating from Riverside County public, private and parochial schools.

The winning student will represent Riverside County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held May 27-June 2 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland. The top two elementary (grades 4-6) spellers will represent Riverside County at the California State Elementary Spelling Bee to be held April 21 at the San Joaquin County Office of Education in Stockton.

2012 Riverside County Spelling Bee Participants

(listed alphabetically by district; * denotes second place winner/alternate)

All Saints Carden School

Victoria Wood, All Saints Carden School – Grade 5

*Jacob Potter, All Saints Carden School – Grade 5

Alvord USD

Viviana Caballero, Myra Linn Elementary School – Grade 5

*Grace Guan, Villegas Middle School – Grade 8

Banning USD

Citra Benhar, Susan B. Coombs Intermediate School – Grade 6

*Jasani Seymour, Central Elementary School – Grade 4

Beaumont USD

Alyssa Cadiz, Mt. View Middle School – Grade 7

*Karena Wold, Anna M. Hause Elementary School – Grade 5

Coachella Valley USD

Mariah Gonzalez, Saul Martinez Elementary School – Grade 6

*Isaac Vargas, Mountain Vista Elementary School – Grade 6

Corona-Norco USD

Keerthana Sivathasan, Corona Ranch Elementary School – Grade 6

Hemet USD

Kriti Kumar, Diamond Valley Middle School – Grade 8

Lake Elsinore USD

Derek Vu, Lakeland Village Middle School – Grade 6

*Justin Viveros, Elsinore Middle School – Grade 7

Marywood Palm Valley

Christian Kontaxis, Marywood Palm Valley – Grade 7

Menifee Union SD

Emily Africa, Oak Meadows Elementary School – Grade 4

*Alyssa Tillett, Hans Christensen Middle School – Grade 7

Moreno Valley USD

Linh Le, Vista Heights Middle School – Grade 7

*Jamie Brown, Vista Heights Middle School – Grade 6

Murrieta Valley USD

Shruti Amin, Thompson Middle School – Grade 8

*Stephan Culver, Shivela Middle School – Grade 8

Nuview Union SD

Carissa Thorpe, Mountain Shadows Middle School – Grade 8

*Julissa Lopez, Mountain Shadows Elementary School – Grade 6

Palm Springs USD

Jenna-May Ingal, Katherine Finchy Elementary School – Grade 5

*Colleen Stephanie Velasco, Raymond Cree Middle School – Grade 6

Palo Verde USD

Lauren Hardin, Blythe Middle School – Grade 8

*Ayden DeLaO, Margaret White Elementary School – Grade 5

Pechanga School

 

Raechel Arellano, Pechanga School – Grade 4

*Kaya Telles, Pechanga School – Grade 4

Perris Union High SD

Kaitlan De Los Reyes, California Military Institute – Grade 6

*Joanne Cayton, Pinacate Middle School – Grade 8

River Springs Charter School

Hosanna Collier, River Springs Charter School – Grade 8

*Jessica McGinnis, River Springs Charter School – Grade 7

Riverside Garden School

Michelle Boulos, Riverside Garden School – Grade 6

*Thulasi Yogarajah, Riverside Garden School – Grade 6

Romoland SD

Jessica Madriaga, Mesa View Elementary School – Grade 4

*Francis Dogani, Boulder Ridge Elementary School – Grade 6

San Jacinto USD

Shakson Isaac, Megan Cope Elementary School – Grade 5

*Aaron Banico, Parkhill Elementary School – Grade 5

Santa Rosa Academy

Damaris Eddy, Santa Rosa Academy – Grade 6

*Skylar Stephens, Santa Rosa Academy – Grade 6

St. Jeanne de Lestonnac

Braden Lobb, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac – Grade 6

*Connor Rommerswinkel, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac – Grade 6

Temecula Preparatory School

Emily Medeiros, Temecula Preparatory School – Grade 6

*Mia Benitez, Temecula Preparatory School – Grade 4

Val Verde USD

Nathaniel Moreno, Avalon Elementary School – Grade 4

*Alisia Cooke, Sierra Vista Elementary School – Grade 6

Van Avery Preparatory School

Sander Grindheim, Van Avery Preparatory School – Grade 6

*Leah Alaniz, Van Avery Preparatory School – Grade 7

*Contributed by Riverside County Office of Education