Hampton Middle School 8th grader heading to Scripps National Spelling Bee
An eighth grader at Hampton Middle School will represent the Pittsburgh area at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Jane Ross spelled "cacaxte" to win the 75th annual Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee on Sunday. Ross also won the regional bee in 2022 as a fifth grader, placed third in 2023 and was last year's runner-up.
Students in grades first through eighth compete in spelling bees at their schools and one champion per school advances to the regional qualifier bee. This year, 81 local students participated in the regional qualifier, and 15 finalists faced off Sunday at the Lawrence Hall Ballroom on Point Park University's campus.
Jack Turan, a sixth grader from Quaker Valley Middle School; Lois Klages, an eighth grader from Bedford Middle School; Diya Thirumurugan, a seventh grader from South Fayette Township Middle School; and Mateo Lin, a seventh grader from Fort Couch Middle School, rounded out the top five.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee will celebrate 100 years this year. It's scheduled for May 27 through May 29 in Washington, D.C.
