ST. PETERSBURG, FLA — The Tampa Bay Rays hosted 51 of Tampa Bay’s top spelling bee champions for Scripps Regional Spelling Bee Saturday. The Rays were the first MLB team to host the spelling bee, which made this extra special for the students and school officials.
“To get here today is really an honor for each one of these students,” Pinellas County School’s superintendent Kevin Hendricks said. “We’re proud of them and their parents. And we’re just so proud to see these kids in action."
The kids were excited and brave, and they were all up for the challenge. Their parents, however, were nervous.
“I didn’t think that I’d be as nervous as the contestants. It was really interesting because some words seem so random, and some seemed easy,” said Ade Oremosu. “Then there were some that even I didn’t know. I couldn’t even spell them.”
Oremosu’s daughter is 8th grader Jordin. She, 7th grader Bruhat Soma, and 5th grader Amara Chepuri were the three winners. They left with three cool golden bats and a ticket to DC to compete in the national Competition on Memorial Day.
“I’m extremely nervous. I didn’t expect to be here,” Jordin said. “I’m glad I’m here.”
As for Chepuri, she said she was shaking inside the whole time.
“I just decided to stay calm, listen to the words, and not panic,” she said.
This was Soma’s third time in the spelling bee, and his third time making it to DC. He’s determined to win it all this year, like last year’s national winner, Dev Shah.
Shah attended the spelling bee to cheer on his peers, and he gave them some great advice.
“I would just recommend not giving up,” he said. “You shouldn’t give up just because you lose. You should give up if you hit your limits. Losing doesn’t mean hitting your limits.”
